The Return
by comicbooklovergreen
Summary: Takes place almost a year after the movie. What happens when Elektra reunites with Matt Murdock? Can he forgive her for all she's done? Add in Mark, Abby, and Bullseye and things really get complicated. Better then it sounds, I promise. NOW COMPLETE.
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note**: This is my first time doing this, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Like or hate, send me a review and let me know if I should continue. Also, I didn't have anyone to edit this, so please forgive any grammatical errors. One more thing, I know the title is really lame and I'm working on something better. Any ideas?

**Rating: **I'm going to say T for later chapters, but this one isn't really that bad.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own these characters; they belong to a bunch of people with way more money and power then me. I make no profit from writing this. If I did, I wouldn't be looking for a job at Blockbuster.

**The Return**

Chapter One

Elektra Natchios walked the familiar streets of Hell's Kitchen, not sure what to do next. She had checked every place she could think of and come up with nothing. She'd been by the coffee shop earlier today, hoping to find him there. No such luck. Next was the playground, where she had first realized how unique he was. Not there either. She had considered going to his law office but quickly rejected the idea. For one thing, she didn't know where it was. The phonebook seemed the obvious solution to this problem but she decided not to use it. They had a lot to discuss and she proffered to have that particular conversation somewhere a bit more private. By that time, night had begun to fall and she was running out of ideas. It occurred to her that he was probably out patrolling as Daredevil so she had taken to the rooftops. Not finding him, she headed for his apartment.

Reaching the roof of the building, a flood of memories threatened to overwhelm her. This was where they had kissed that first time, leading up to her spending the night. It was also where she had fallen in love with him, something she hadn't known she was capable of. It was true though; Elektra had completely fallen for Matt Murdock, despite her best attempts to stop it.

Not that she had shown it very well. Trying to kill him after thinking he was responsible for her father's death wasn't her best decision. Shutting her eyes tightly, she forced herself not to think about it now. She was well aware of the mistakes she had made where Matt was concerned and felt guilty enough as it was.

She sat on the roof for what felt like an eternity, waiting for Matt to come home. Time passed with no sign of him and Elektra's attention slowly began to wander. Gazing out at the buildings around her, a slight smile tugged at her lips. This had been his favorite view of the city, he'd said that when he brought her up here. The idea of seeing him again was both exciting and terrifying. Exciting because she had been missing him for almost four years and desperately needed to talk to him, to tell him she wasn't dead and apologize for leaving. Terrifying because she would have to explain where she had been all this time and how she'd been making a living. That thought made her cringe inwardly. Matt was a good man who spent his life serving justice and protecting the innocent. What would he say when he learned that she had been an assassin for over three years? Still, he deserved the truth and she would give it to him, no matter what his reaction might be.

Hours went by and still, Matt hadn't returned. Elektra had finally given up on waiting at his apartment. It was late and the temperature had started to drop. So here she was, pacing the streets, completely out of options. Just as she had decided to find a hotel room for the night and take up the search again tomorrow, she felt eyes watching her.

Instinctively, she grabbed the hilt of the sai tucked in an inside pocket of her jacket. Hell's Kitchen was one of the worst neighborhoods in New York and people were attacked there all the time. And here she was, a beautiful woman, walking alone. The perfect target for some sick bastard looking for kicks. Or at least that's what it looked like. Elektra smirked briefly; she was going to teach this guy that appearances could be very deceiving. Adapting a fighting stance and tightening her grip on the weapon, she prepared to face her opponent. A man was standing in the shadows, watching her intently. As she moved closer, her eyes went wide with recognition and she instantly released her sai. There, standing just feet away, was Matt Murdock

For several moments, they simply stared at each other. Elektra was the first to recover. "Matt..." she said softly, her voice choked with pent up emotion. Okay so it wasn't much but she was still in a mild state of shock. She had rehearsed this conversation in her mind a thousand times but now that the moment had come and she could finally talk to him again, she couldn't seem to form the words. Meanwhile, Matt hadn't said a thing yet and his lack of reaction worried her.

"Matt" she repeated, louder this time. Frowning slightly, she moved a few steps closer to him. "Matt, it's me, Elektra."

Snapping out of his daze, he finally responded in a hurt, angry voice she barely recognized. "That's impossible, Elektra's dead. She died a long time ago."

"Matt please just listen-"she tried again only to be cut off before she could finish

"No!" He was yelling now as he backed away from her. The hand on his stick tightened until his knuckles turned white. "I don't know who you are or if this is some sick joke but you're not her, you can't be!"

Shocked by his outburst, Elektra was momentarily lost for words. Regaining control, she quickly moved to block his path, as he was trying to get past her. There were tears in her eyes now as she became desperate. Matt couldn't be blamed for his reaction; after all, it wasn't every day that you ran into your supposedly dead girlfriend on your way home. In his position, she would probably do the same thing; think it was a trick or that she had lost her mind. But she _was_ here, this _was_ real and she had to find a way to convince him of that. It had been months since she had left the Millers and she'd finally gotten up the courage to find Matt again. Now that she had, she couldn't bear the thought of losing him without at least having him know the truth.

Matt's blindness had never really bothered her before but at that moment, she wanted him to see her more then anything, to be able to prove to him that it was her standing in front of him and not some imposter. Since that was impossible, she had to find another way and fast. Matt had just pushed past her and was rapidly moving away. If she had wanted to, Elektra could have made sure he didn't leave but the last thing she wanted was to hurt him. Besides, he was already distrustful of her and attacking him probably wouldn't be the best way to put him at ease. Besides he wasn't exactly helpless himself, as she well remembered from their previous fights.

Searching her mind for something that would prove her identity, she suddenly realized what street they were on. Blinking a few times, she checked her surroundings again to be sure. _It can't be the same place,_ she told herself mentally. That would be way too ironic. But it was, she was sure of it. She had met him here once before and despite the fact that it had been years ago, the memory was clear enough that it could have happened yesterday.

_She had been looking for him that night too. He had been walking along this street, facing away from her. Just as she was about to announce her presence, he had spoken._

"_So does this mean you want a rematch?" he'd asked, referring to their sparring session on the playground earlier that day. Instead of answering his question, she said the first thing that came to mind. "I knew I'd find you."_

The noise of Matt's footsteps and his stick hitting the ground brought her back to the present. Jogging to catch up with him, Elektra spoke to his retreating form, hoping he would remember the significance of the words.

"I knew I'd find you."

Matt stopped in his tracks, his body going completely rigid. Slowly, he turned to face her.

"What did you say?" The anger had left his voice completely, replaced by confusion and…hope? She wasn't sure but she thought she detected a note of hope there. Her heart leapt with joy, she could tell he was starting to believe her. Pressing her advantage, she moved closer and this time Matt didn't back away.

"I told you I'd find you. Here first, and then that night on the rooftop, the night I…died." She paused for a moment; the subject of her death was still difficult to talk about. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to continue. "You begged me not to fight Bullseye but I didn't listen. Matt, I'm so sorry. I-"

Her apology was cut short as Matt suddenly pulled her to him. Before she knew it, Elektra was being crushed against his chest as he hugged her tightly. Surprised by the move, it took her a moment to return the embrace. When she did, she held him just as fiercely. A sob escaped her as she buried her head on his shoulder. God, it felt so good to be in his arms again.

After several long moments, Matt pulled away. Confused and a little hurt by his action, Elektra looked at him questioningly, forgetting briefly that he couldn't see her.

"What is it?" she asked, afraid that she had done something wrong.

He was silent a moment before he unexpectedly whipped off his sunglasses.

"Wait for it." He said softly. Understanding dawned just as the first rain drops hit their faces.

Elektra smiled widely, unable to believe this. Minutes before, she had been wishing that he could see her again and now this. He was still blind obviously, but the rain gave him the next best thing to actual sight. Now, he was running his hands over her face, the same way he had on the roof of his apartment years before. When he spoke again, his voice was so low that she had to strain to hear him.

"How is this possible? I was there, you died in my arms. I heard your heart stop beating-"

This time, she was the one to interrupt, pulling him into a passionate kiss. By the time it ended, both were out of breath. Elektra leaned in close to his ear and murmured "I promise I'll explain everything, but not here. Let's go back to your apartment where we can talk." Matt simply nodded in reply.

She hated to take away his "sight" but they were being pounded mercilessly by the rain and she was starting to get cold. That wasn't the real reason she wanted to leave though. She was putting off giving him her explanation for as long as possible. Yes, she planned on telling him everything, just not now. She knew it was inevitable but that didn't change the fact that she was afraid of Matt's reaction. If he decided that he couldn't forgive her past deeds, she would lose him all over again. If that was the case, she wanted as much time with him as possible before saying goodbye.


	2. Chapter Two

**Author's Note**: I know it's been a long time since I've updated this and I'm really sorry about that. I couldn't seem to get this chapter to a level where I was satisfied with it. Actually, I'm still not satisfied with it, but I figured I'd let the readers decide if it was good. Remember, this is my first shot at this, so I'm relying on your reviews to let me know if I should continue. Once again, I apologize for any grammatical errors. It's hard for me to catch every mistake when I edit these myself. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **Still not my characters, except maybe in my dreams. I'm not making any money from this either, check my wallet and you'll see.

**The Return**

Chapter Two

The sun hitting her face woke Elektra the next morning. For a moment, she tensed up, unsure where she was. Then the memories of last night flashed through her mind and she instantly relaxed. Rolling over, she saw Matt, still asleep, lying next to her. His mouth was curved in a small smile. _At least I wasn't the only one who enjoyed it,_ she thought to herself. A smile almost identical to his crossed her face as she relived the events of the previous night.

By the time they had reached his apartment, talking had been the last thing on either of their minds. Getting inside had been difficult since neither of them wanted to let go of the other. Matt had fumbled with the lock a few times before giving Elektra the combination. Normally, he had no trouble entering his own place but these weren't normal circumstances. Once the lock was taken care of, they stumbled inside, Matt closing the door with his foot as Elektra worked on getting his jacket off. He carelessly dropped his stick to the floor, allowing her to lead him inside. What happened next was fairly obvious, considering the trail of clothes that led from the entryway to the bedroom, that and their current position in the bed of course.

Elektra was surprised that she had actually slept this long. She hardly ever slept more then a few hours and even then, she would be awakened constantly by her nightmares. Pushing herself up on an elbow, she took the opportunity to study Matt's body more closely. Gently, she placed her fingertips on his forearm, examining the marks that were permanently etched into his skin. Slowly, she moved upward, tracing over his strong biceps.

Abruptly, she pulled her hand away, placing it over her mouth to stifle a gasp. There was a small scar on his shoulder that hadn't been there the last time she had seen him like this. That was to be expected though, considering how long it had been since then. It only made sense that he would have more injuries with his role as the protector of Hell's Kitchen. No, it wasn't the scar itself that bothered Elektra. It was the fact that she herself had put it there.

The night of her death, she and Matt had fought. Or rather, Elektra had fought and Matt had done his best to avoid her attacks without actually returning them. He tried to convince her of his innocence, that it was Bullseye and not him who had killed her father. In her thirst for revenge, she had refused to listen and ended up stabbing him. In the exact spot where there was now a small but still noticeable scar.

It was only after removing his mask and seeing who she was about to kill that Elektra had snapped out of her anger induced haze. The thought of what she had done still made her sick to her stomach.

Her happiness from moments before was gone now, replaced by a feeling of guilt and self loathing that she was much more familiar with. Maybe she shouldn't have come here. Maybe it was a bad idea to seek him out like this. All she had ever done was hurt him, both physically and emotionally. He deserved better then her. Maybe it would be best if she slipped out right now. Maybe…

Her moment of self doubt was interrupted when she felt Matt begin to stir beside her. Resolutely, Elektra forced those thoughts to the back of her mind. No matter what might happen in the future, she was with him now, so she might as well make the best of the time they had.

Turning her attention back to the man lying next to her, she noticed that he was now fully awake, his gray eyes open, staring almost directly at her.

"Hey' she said quietly.

Instead of returning her greeting, Matt reached out, cupping the side of her face in his hand "You're still here."

The sheer relief she heard in his voice almost caused her to tear up again. He didn't know just how close she'd been to leaving him. Trying to ignore the feelings of guilt his words evoked, Elektra forced herself to concentrate on what Matt was saying.

"I was afraid that I'd been dreaming again, that I'd wake up and find you gone."

"Oh really, what happened to all those things I've heard about The Man Without Fear?" she replied in a joking tone. She desperately needed to lighten the mood, otherwise she might start crying again.

Matt quirked his head to the side for a moment, a gesture that Elektra found very endearing before he replied "That whole thing, it's an act, I mean, you've never seen Foggy Nelson try and get a date. Believe me, that would scare anyone "

Laughing at his response, she laid her head on his chest, glad for the change of topic. She had never really met Matt's business partner Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, only seen him that time at the coffee shop when he had spit his drink halfway across the room. She made a mental note to ask Matt about that later. For right now, she was happy to keep up the game of teasing banter they had established.

"Well, Matt, not everyone has that whole poor, pitiful, blind guy thing to use as an advantage for hitting on women."

Matt, who had been running his fingers through her hair, stopped what he was doing and looked down at her with an expression of mock hurt.

"Hey, that's not fair. In case you haven't noticed, most women aren't beating down the door to go out with poor, blind lawyers from Hell's Kitchen. Besides, it didn't even work, you completely blew me off."

"Don't take it personally; I just figured you were exactly like the other two horny, perverted idiots that tried to flirt with me that week."

"Thanks, that makes me feel loads better."

They settled into compensable silence, both having thoroughly enjoyed teasing the other. Elektra had almost fallen asleep when Matt spoke again, all traces of humor gone from his voice.

"So, when are you going to tell me how it is that we're even having this conversation?"

Elektra sighed deeply. _So much for changing the subject_. It wasn't as if he didn't have every right to be impatient for answers. She had, after all, promised him an explanation last night, and she really would have given it if they hadn't gotten so…distracted.

"Matt, I" she began without really knowing what she would say, how she could possibly explain all that transpired since their last meeting. Not that it really mattered, because at that moment, the sound of the phone ringing pierced the previously quiet apartment.

Matt groaned in frustration, cursing under his breath as Elektra rolled off him, moving to extricate herself from the mass of tangled sheets. Grabbing the phone off the extra handset which he kept on the dresser across the room, he didn't even bother masking his annoyance at whoever had chosen the worst possible moment to call.

"What?"

Surprisingly, it was Foggy who answered him, sounding more anxious then he had in quite some time. "Hey, don't use that pissed off tone with me, buddy. We've got a deposition this morning and you were supposed to be here half an hour ago. What the hell is going on?"

Suddenly wide awake, he went to the Braille clock on the nightstand, a fresh stream of curses escaping his mouth when he noted the time. On the other end of the line, Foggy was still going on, his voice made louder by his irritation.

"Matt, I swear, if this is another case of you being hung over or suddenly deciding to up and leave the city for three months to do God knows what, I swear Matt, if you do that to me again- "

Elektra, who had begun to get dressed but could still hear most of what was being said, stopped what she was doing and frowned in confusion. Left the city for three months? What was that about?

Matt turned away from her, gathering clothes from his closet and dresser, all the while making sure that Elektra couldn't see his face. He hadn't wanted her to find out about that until later, after she had either confirmed or denied his suspicions. Speaking quickly, he did his best to stop his partner from revealing anything else that he would prefer to explain himself.

"Foggy, Foggy, just relax a minute all right? I'm not hung over, trust me, I just overslept my alarm." Technically, that was almost the truth, since Matt's bedchamber usually woke him automatically. However, he hadn't slept there last night, making his normal method of waking up useless.

"Well maybe you wouldn't have had that problem if we hadn't had to spend last night counting out scented candles until two in the morning."

Matt could just imagine the look Elektra must be giving him if she heard that comment. Their latest client had a cousin who frequently sent him scented candles for birthday and Christmas gifts. The man didn't have much, so instead of money, their law office was now filled with so many overly sweet aromas that Matt almost preferred the heavy stink of pollution that hung constantly over the city. Before his miraculous reunion with Elektra, he had spent the night with Foggy, cataloguing all the items their clients had given them as payment. It had been one of the few times in his career when he genuinely wished that at least some of the people they defended were rich. Those damn candles were wreaking havoc on his sense of smell.

"Look, Foggy, I'll be there in twenty minutes, okay? See you then." Without giving him a chance to respond, Matt hung up the phone, turning back to Elektra, who was now rooting through the pile of clothes on the floor in search of her shoes.

"I have to go, there's a meeting at the courthouse that I totally forgot about." As he spoke, Matt was already pulling on boxers, then dress pants at a speed seemingly impossible for most sighted people, let alone a blind man.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out, but what did he mean about you being gone for three months?"

Pausing in the act of knotting up his tie, Matt sighed and walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Listen, we both have things we need to discuss, but I guess it will have to wait. Foggy has enough trouble putting up with me being late as it is and I really don't think I should be pushing my luck this time."

"Well then, you better get going. You mind if I use your bathroom? I just need to freshen up a bit."

"Sure, sure go ahead." Matt would have to forego his usual morning routine for today and shower when he got home.

While Elektra went to clean up, Matt threw on his jacket and shoes, grabbing a pair of dark glasses before entering the main area of the apartment. In truth, there was nothing he wanted more then to stay here with Elektra, but that simply wasn't a possibility. Foggy had dealt with with a lot from him especially over the past two years, and besides, it was Matt who had insisted they take this case in the first place, so he couldn't very well call in sick, much as he might want to.

Elektra came out of his room, after having splashed her face with cold water, run a comb through her hair, and done her best at getting some of the wrinkles out of her clothes. Doing a quick once over, she gave Matt's tie a small adjustment. When she was about to move her hand from his chest, he covered it with his own, tilting her chin up with his free hand.

"Elektra, you…you'll still be here when I get back right? You won't…disappear?"

His words made Elektra feel even worse about almost leaving this morning. Now, after talking to him again, finding that connection they'd had before everything had gone so wrong, she couldn't leave him if she wanted to.

"Don't worry Matt, I'm not going anywhere. I do need to buy some new clothes, and there is an old friend I'd like to get in touch with, but I'll be here when you get back." She watched his face break into a smile then he cocked his head to one side, raising an eyebrow at her. His next question was voiced casually, but there was an undercurrent of something else which he couldn't quite mask.

"Old friend, huh, what kind of old friend?"

Elektra chuckled slightly when she realized what Matt was thinking. Who knew Daredevil had such a jealous streak? Seeing that he was still giving her that odd look, she answered him quickly, before he could form any of his own ideas,

"Trust me; you have absolutely nothing to worry about"

"Worry, who's worrying, I was just asking a simple question."

"Right, of course you were."

Matt smiled, knowing that she didn't believe him for a second, but also knowing by the steady beat of her heart that she was telling the truth. Okay, so maybe he was a little jealous, but really, how was he to know how many "friends" she'd made while they were apart?

"Listen, Matt, I'd love to sit here and tell you about her, along with everything else, but you should probably get going. Besides, I really need to get a change of clothes."

"You're right, I have to go and back Foggy up at that deposition before he has a heart attack" Matt truly loved and respected his best friend, but when it came to actually dealing with people, Foggy tended to panic if he had to handle cases alone. Leaning down, he gave Elektra a quick kiss, holding on for a moment longer then was absolutely necessary. Not that she was complaining.

When he pulled away, Elektra handed him his walking stick from where it had landed during their hurried entrance the night before. Giving her one last lopsided smile, Matt headed off to work, leaving Elektra in the apartment. Finding some bread in one of the cupboards, she made herself some buttered toast before leaving herself.

Hours later, she reentered the apartment carrying several large shopping bags. After taking a shower and changing clothes, she found her mind wandering. There was still the matter of telling Matt exactly what her former job entailed, as well as finding out why he would leave Hell's Kitchen. Growing tired of trying to figure those things out, she focused on something which should have been done a long time ago. Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed the number which she'd had for awhile, but hadn't been ready to call. Hopefully Mark or Abby would be home.


	3. Chapter Three

**Author's Note**: Well, here's chapter three. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it. Also, someone asked me to write a scene where Matt tells Elektra about his father and how he became blind. Unfortunately, I had to cut this chapter a little short, so it isn't there. I apologize to the person who requested that scene, but I promise that it will be in the next chapter. Hope you guys like this and if you could write a little review, that would be great.

**Disclaimer: **These characters still aren't mine; I'm just borrowing them for a little fun and absolutely no profit.

**The Return**

Chapter Three

Elektra was just about to hang up when the phone was answered on the sixth ring by a very out of breath Mark.

"Hello?"

"Mark, hi, it's-"

"Elektra, is that you?"

She was relieved that he sounded genuinely happy to hear from her. There didn't seem to be any awkwardness between them, something she had been worried about after those kisses they'd shared. Then again, she hadn't mentioned anything to him about where she currently was or who she was staying with.

"Hey Mark, I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch, things have been really…hectic recently."

"It's okay. We actually just got settled in ourselves. Only the first week here and Abby's already complaining about being bored."

There was a brief pause as Mark seemed to be considering something, then he continued, sounding somewhat confused. "Speaking of which, how did you manage to get this number? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you called and Abby will be thrilled, it's just that I sort off went out of my way to make sure nobody could find us."

"I have my sources," she answered simply. The truth was that even though she hadn't made contact until now, Elektra had been keeping tabs on the Millers from almost the moment she left.

"Right.' It didn't surprise Mark that she would know where they were despite all his precautions to be sure they remained safe from prying eyes. Abby thought he was being paranoid, and he admitted that maybe he was, but years of living in fear for his daughter's life, as well as his own made it hard not to be concerned. The fact that Elektra was looking out for them, even from a distance, made him feel somewhat better.

"Listen, Elektra, I know I've said this before, but thank you. If you hadn't been there, I don't know what would've happened."

"You're right, you have said it before, and I told you before that it wasn't necessary. I'm sure you haven't forgotten the reason I showed up in the first place.'

"It doesn't matter. You saved Abby's life; I'll never be able to repay you for that."

There was so much conviction in Mark's voice that Elektra was momentarily lost for words. To think that she'd been mere seconds from killing a thirteen year old girl, never mind that she'd backed out, she still couldn't believe that she'd even considered it. Unable to handle any more of Mark's gratitude, she quickly moved on to a much safer subject.

"So how is Abby, still breaking and entering in her free time?"

Mark laughed heartily at that before answering. "No, thank God. It would be pretty hard to keep a low profile with her still doing that. Anyway, I guess you probably know that we're pretty isolated out here. Even if she wanted to, there aren't too many places to steal from"

Elektra was aware that they were staying in a small island town, even smaller then where the three of them originally crossed paths. Thinking of her first meeting with the girl brought a smile to her face. Almost immediately, she'd been impressed by Abby's skills. If it had been a normal person living in that house and not someone who was trained to notice intruders, she might have gotten away. One thing she did need to work on was her ability to lie. Nobody would ever buy that story about the usual tenants allowing her to wander through their house when they were gone.

Somewhere in the background a door could be heard opening and closing. Abby's voice came shortly after that, something about being bored out of her skull. Elektra listened with amusement as Mark addressed his daughter.

"Abby, you're the one who wanted the house on the beach. Well, we've got a house on a beach, so why can't you find a way to entertain yourself?"

"Because we're still in the middle of nowhere, Dad. When I said beach, I meant somewhere with things to do, like Miami, or Santa Monica, somewhere with other human beings to hang out with"

Mark was becoming more exasperated every minute. "As I recall, the last few people you hung out with ended up with black eyes."

"Yeah, well that was because they were being assholes."

"Abby! How many times have I told you not to use that language?" Realizing that he was still on the phone, Mark brought the receiver back to his ear.

"Abby's back, as I'm sure you can tell. You mind if I put her on before she drives me completely insane?"

"Of course not." By this time, Elektra was finding it very difficult not to chuckle. There was a small amount of static, then Mark's voice telling Abby that she was on the phone. The answering shriek was so loud that Elektra had to pull the receiver away from her ear to avoid permanent hearing loss.

"Abby, calm down! Are you trying to shatter her eardrums?"

"Dad, don't you have something to do. We're trying to have a private conversation."

Mark rolled his eyes, finding it somehow wrong that he was being thrown out of his own living room. Still, he left without a fight.

The instant her father was gone, Abby started talking a mile a minute.

"You called! I mean, I knew you'd call eventually, but I had no idea when. This is so awesome! Are you somewhere close? Please tell me you are because there's absolutely no one here to talk to and even if there was, Dad would probably think they were some kind of mad, psycho, ninja, freak who wanted to kill us. But seriously, what are the chances of that happening again, right?"

Elektra marveled at how Abby could speak that fast, seemingly without breathing. She was somewhat relieved when the girl stopped long enough for her to actually respond.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down a minute, Warrior Girl. Let me get a word in edgewise."

"Sorry" Abby said sheepishly. "I'm just really glad you called, that's all."

"Me too, Abby. So, from what I can tell, you haven't changed much at all."

"Nah, not really. But what do you expect? Okay, we're on a beach, which is great for working on my tan, but the nearest ice cream parlor is like, three hundred miles away."

"You could try going back to school."

There was a long silence. The girl's next words were spoken with absolute certainty.

"You're out of your mind."

They shared a laugh at that comment before Abby remembered her original question. "So where are you anyway?"

"Right now I'm in New York. I used to live here and I'm visiting some of my old haunts." She deliberately left out any mention of Matt. Abby didn't need to hear about the mess that was their relationship.

"Oh." Her disappointment was clear, which made Elektra feel horrible. She viewed this girl like a daughter, and the last thing she wanted to do was cause her even more pain. The kid had already lost her mother, then there were all those years living in fear of The Hand, not to mention coming back from the dead. It just wasn't fair for someone that young to have to deal with so much.

"Abby, we'll see each other again soon, I promise."

"Good, because I want a rematch: last time you caught me off guard, next time I'll show you who's boss."

"I caught you off guard? You were the one who tried to attack me from behind. I was simply defending myself. It's not my fault you couldn't keep up."

"Yeah, yeah. Just get ready, I won't go so easy on you the second time around."

"Bring it on then. Maybe it'll take me a whole two minutes to kick your ass instead of one."

They chuckled again and hard as she tried, Elektra couldn't think of another person, besides Matt anyway, who'd ever been able make her laugh this much. Between the two of them, she might have to start being happy more often.

Their talk was cut short by Mark reentering the room, "Abby, I'm really sorry, but I need to head into town for a bit and I'd like you to come with me."

"In a minute, Dad, this is important."

"Abbs, come on. It's an hour long drive and I'd like to get there before it gets too dark."

"Then go, I can chill here by myself. You don't need to watch me every minute of every day."

"Abby, you know I don't like leaving you alone for too long."

"But Dad-"

Before Abby could finish, Elektra interrupted, bringing their attention back to her. "Abby, you should go with your Dad. We can talk later."

"But-"

"I promised we'd see each other again, remember? I'll call you soon, don't worry."

"You mean it?"

"I mean it."

Abby groaned loudly, then finally relented. "Fine, let's go."

"Good, I'll meet you outside in a minute."

After exchanging a reluctant goodbye with Elektra, Abby handed the phone to her father, who said he wanted to say goodbye himself. She made sure to put on her sulky face as she left

"Thanks for the assist there. I know I'm being overprotective, but after everything that's gone on, it's a hard habit to break."

"I understand."

"Well, I'd better get out there. Abby might decide to steal the truck to get back at me for not letting her stay and talk to you."

"I wouldn't put it past her."

"Thanks for calling. I haven't seen her smile that much in a very long time."

"You don't have to thank me, I was glad to do it."

"Good. Abby's waiting, so I guess I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

Once she hung up, Elektra was again left with nothing but her own thoughts, specifically, the promise she'd just made, wondering how Mark and Abby would react to seeing Matt. There was bound to be some friction, at least between the two men This was assuming that Matt wanted anything to do with her after tonight. If worse came to worse, Elektra might end up visiting the Millers by herself.

Feeling restless, she got up and began investigating her surroundings with a more thorough eye. In the back of the apartment, there was a home gym, complete with exercise machines, weights, and, best of all, a punching bag. _Good, _she thought. _If I have to sit here driving myself crazy, I might as well have something to hit while I'm doing it._

Matt came back around six that night, immensely relieved to find her sitting on his couch watching television. When she heard him come in, Elektra walked over, plastering a smile on her face, which she was glad Matt couldn't see knowing how fake it must look. Though she did a remarkable job at remaining casual, he could tell by her rapid heartbeat that she was nervous.

"So, how did work go?"

The words sounded idiotic to Elektra even before she was done speaking. Here they were with enough issues to keep a shrink in business for the next year, and she was acting like a housewife in one of those old fifties shows she'd always detested By the look he was giving her, Matt wasn't falling for the weak attempt at small talk either.

"Elektra, I just spent eight hours doing depositions, meeting with clients, I even had a court hearing, and I'll be lucky if I remember half of what was said because I was thinking about you the entire day. Whatever it is you aren't telling me, I need to hear it now."

He didn't sound angry, only determined. Knowing that stalling wouldn't work this time, Elektra steeled herself for what was coming. "Okay, let's um, let's sit down. This is going to take awhile."

Slowly, she led him into the living room, turning off the TV and taking a seat on the couch. Matt rested his stick against the table, then joined her. Silence followed, as Elektra considered how to begin, finally deciding that the thing to do was to get the worst part over with. Squaring her shoulders and forcing her voice to remain steady, she spoke the dreaded words.

"Matt, I used to be an assassin."

She had expected him to be, angry, to start asking question after question. What she hadn't expected was this total lack of any reaction at all. Maybe he was too shocked to understand the words.. Taking a breath, Elektra made herself say it again..

"I used to kill people for a living."

Still nothing.

Growing frustrated, she reached over and pulled the sunglasses from his face. As she peered into his gray, expressionless eyes, something clicked in her mind.

"You knew." It wasn't a question

Matt nodded his head ever so slightly, acknowledging the truth of her statement.

"How?" was the only thing she could manage to choke out.

Matt was quiet for a few seconds, and when he started to answer Elektra could tell that it was difficult for him.

"I don't think you realize how…well known you've become. A couple years ago, rumors started circulating about this assassin. Beautiful woman in red that whispered in her victims' ear before she killed them. I didn't pay much attention at first, since no one in Hell's Kitchen could afford to hire her. It was maybe six or seven months later when I first found out what this person's name was."

At this point, Matt stopped, took a deep breath, then continued.

"I didn't believe it. There was no you could possibly have survived what Bullseye did. I heard your heart stop for God's sake."

Elektra couldn't believe it had never occurred to her that Matt might know of her activities. He prowled the streets every night; he was bound to hear things. And she was the one who'd always worked so hard to spread the legend. Why hadn't she considered this possibility before? Feeling completely dumbstruck, she started to say something only to have Matt forestall her with a raise of his hand.

"No, Elektra. Not yet. I need to get this out."

She nodded mutely, too distracted to realize that he wouldn't see it or wonder how he'd known what she was going to do.

"The thing is, even though I knew it wasn't true, I couldn't get it out of my mind. Then a friend of mine who knows someone in the coroner's office tells me that your body never made it to the hospital. After that, I became obsessed with finding out what really happened. There were so many unanswered questions and…"

"And what?"

Matt stood up, feeling his way to a pair of hooks near the front of the apartment. On one of them was a pair of old boxing gloves. The other, which she'd previously thought empty, Elektra now saw held a small chain that Matt was carefully removing. As he walked closer, she was able to get a better look at the item, suddenly realizing its significance. Placing it on the table between them, Matt resumed his previous position on the couch.

"I found it on the roof a few days after what happened. Logically I knew that you must have put it there beforehand, but at the same time…" He shrugged helplessly.

When he'd asked about her mother's good luck charm, joking that he could use one in Braille, Elektra had had one made, planning to give it to him at the Black and White Ball. Her father's murder that same night had quickly put an end to that idea. She'd put the necklace on the roof right before starting to search for the man she believed was her father's killer. It was meant to be something of a parting gift, because Elektra knew that once she'd exacted her revenge, there could be no future for them. Unsure whether or not to explain all of this, she simply stared at the object until Matt continued his tale.

"Earlier, you were asking why I left the city. It was because of you. I started tracking your movements, checked anywhere this woman was last seen trying to figure out if it was you. I never found anything conclusive."

"Why didn't you say something sooner?'

"I think you know why."

Once again, she nodded. It didn't take much thought to understand why Matt hadn't confronted her until now: there was a part of him, small though it may have been, that didn't want to know the truth.

"Why didn't you come back, Elektra?"

His voice was so low, so full of hurt and betrayal that she could no longer meet his eyes. Staring at her hands, Elektra did her best to explain the choices she'd made.

"Matt, I tried to kill you, that's not exactly the type of thing you can just apologize for."

"You still should've come back!"

She flinched at the sharpness in his tone, all the while knowing that she deserved every bit of his anger.

Matt closed his eyes tightly, trying to control his emotions. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to come out the way it did. But you have to understand what it was like for me. The whole time I was chasing all those leads, I was so unbelievably confused. I wanted you to be alive more then anything in the world, but at the same time, if those rumors were true, if you'd managed to survive somehow, then that meant you were out there somewhere, killing people, deliberately staying away from me. I didn't know what to think anymore. It got to the point where if I hadn't stopped when I did, I probably would've lost my mind."

Hating herself for all the pain she had caused him, Elektra gently took his hand in her own, needing to convey how much she regretted not coming to him sooner.

"Matt, I am so sorry for what I did. You have to know that the only reason I stayed away was because I thought you would hate me for everything that happened. "

"I could never hate you, Elektra. And no matter what happened before, I need you in my life, and the idea of losing you again-it terrifies me."

"And…you're okay with this? With what I've done?"

Matt sighed, biting his lip before answering. "We've both done things we regret. When I went out as Daredevil, there would be times that I decided to play judge, jury, and executioner. I don't do that anymore, but I still have more blood on my hands then I'd like to admit. I can't condone what you did, but I can't judge you for it. The truth is that you mean more to me then anything that happened in either of our pasts."

It took a moment for Elektra to process what he was saying. He knew. Matt knew, yet he was willing to forgive her. When she finally digested the enormity of his statement, Elektra could do nothing but pull him as close as possible.

Having her so near to him sent Matt's already heightened senses into overdrive. Pressing a kiss into her hair, he concentrated on the rose oil sense that he'd missed so much.

They stayed that way for several long minutes before Matt noticed she was crying. Frowning in concern, he ran his thumb along her cheek, wiping away the tears.

"What's wrong, are you all right?"

Shaking her head, Elektra gave him a watery smile."

"I'm fine really, I was just so sure that you'd never want to see me again."

"Are you kidding? There's nothing I'd like more then to be able to see you."

She kissed him soundly, grateful for his attempt to lighten the mood, even if the joke wasn't particularly funny. He seemed to recognize how much she hated showing vulnerability, even around him. Swiping at a few lingering tears, Elektra self consciously pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"So, I guess you still have questions about how I survived."

"I think what you just said might qualify as the understatement of the year," Matt said dryly.

"Okay well, it's kind of a long story."

As Elektra launched into her explanation, a pair of eyes watched intently from a building across the street. So the girl was alive after all. He must've underestimated her if she'd managed a return from the dead. And if she could pull that off, Fisk's claim that this blind guy was the same one who'd made him miss might not be so crazy either. It even made sense when he considered it properly. The Devil had been clearly devastated when he'd taken Elektra out, so who's to say that he and the man she was with now weren't the same? Stranger things had happened. Putting down his binoculars, Bullseye smiled in a way that would have left anyone there to see it with a chill in their bones.

He'd had fun with Elektra, admired the way she fought back, even if it had been a futile effort. He would truly enjoy playing with her again And if her boyfriend really was Daredevil, that was even better. He could kill two birds with one stone: finish what he'd started with the girl, then repay the so called Man Without Fear for making him miss and trying to take his hands away. Unfortunately, doing so tonight was out of the question. The cops would be looking for him soon and he couldn't risk being out in the open. That was okay though; he could be patient for a little while longer. As he headed for the rooftop exit, Bullseye contented himself with thoughts of which one of them he should kill first.


	4. Chapter Four

**Author's Note**: Okay folks, here we go again. It might take me a little longer then usual to get the next chapter done because it's my birthday tomorrow and I'll be busy for awhile. I'm going to a concert on Saturday, then I'm staying at my grandmother's before going on vacation for a couple days. I'll do my best to get the next part done as fast as possible. If you guys could leave me some reviews it would not only be an awesome birthday present, it would also encourage me to write faster if I knew people were interested in this story. Now that my shameless begging is over, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Disclaimer: **The characters aren't mine. If they were there would already be a sequel to the Daredevil movie.

**The Return**

Chapter Four

"Wow."

That was the first thing out of Matt's mouth after hearing about everything that had happened to Elektra, starting with her miraculous resurrection.

"Wow? That's the only thing you have to say about this?" she asked in disbelief.

"No, it's just that I thought my situation was weird but this…this makes what happened to me seem normal."

Elektra laughed, starting to see where he was coming from. She had gotten so used to all the craziness that she'd forgotten what her life must look like to an outsider. Then she honed in on something.

"What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said that what happened to me made what happened to you look normal. What were you talking about?"

Seeing the way his body tensed at her question, Elektra almost retracted it. This obviously wasn't something he enjoyed discussing and she had no desire to dredge up any more painful memories. At the same time, however, she was extremely curious to find out about Matt's past. Elektra had read about people with handicaps doing some pretty incredible things, but his abilities went way beyond that. There had to be something, something that he had neglected to mention, which allowed him to do what he did. So instead of taking it back, she let the question hang between them. If Matt didn't want to talk about it, then she wouldn't push the issue, but she wanted to know what he would say before giving him an out.

Surprisingly, Matt did answer, albeit reluctantly. There was a far away note to his voice, as though he were losing himself in his own thoughts.

"When I was twelve, there was this accident. I was on my way home and I took a shortcut that I shouldn't have. Some kind of chemical was being transported that day. I was stupid, didn't watch where I was going, and the next thing I knew there was a truck coming straight at me. The driver managed to avoid running me over, but one of the containers got cracked in the process. The stuff hit me right in the eyes. When I woke up, everything was so loud that I thought my head would explode. Suddenly, I could hear every little noise around me. "

He then explained abut the radar, how he was able to "see" the movements of sound waves. He described the way his other senses were amplified as well, clearing up Elektra's confusion as to how a blind man was able to jump rooftops and fight better then most sighted individuals.

There was something Matt had left out of the story; she knew that for a fact. Even as a child, Elektra couldn't picture him being careless enough to run in front of an oncoming vehicle without looking. Though she was dying to know what he was hiding, she wasn't going to force it out of him. Besides, the emotions of the night were starting to catch up with her and the urge to fall asleep in Matt's arms was becoming harder and harder to fight.

"Tired?"

"Not really." The denial would have been more effective if there wasn't a huge yawn distorting her last two words.

"Liar. Tell you what; I'm starving, so why don't I make us some dinner, then if you want we can head to bed early."

"You can cook?" she asked. Somehow, Matt didn't seem like the kind of guy who spent a lot of time in the kitchen.

"Don't sound so shocked. I used to order in a lot, until I got sick of all the delivery boys trying to cheat me out of my money. Anyway, I cooked all the time when I was a kid since my Dad never-"

He stopped abruptly, leaving Elektra to wonder what was wrong. All he'd been saying was something about his father. It then occurred to her that he'd never talked about the man before now. Despite her earlier resolve not to pressure him, Elektra found herself needing to know more.

"You've never mentioned your Dad," she said carefully.

"No, I guess I haven't," he answered in a vague tone of voice.

Awkward silence descended again as Matt wondered what to say. He could tell that she was curious, but wasn't sure if he was ready to speak about his father. On the other hand, she'd told him all about her past, so why couldn't he do the same? Still, he didn't quite know where to begin. Then he felt Elektra squeeze his hand gently in a message of support. Grateful, he gathered his courage and began to talk.

"You see those boxing gloves next to where the necklace was hanging?"

"Yes," she said, unsure how this was related to anything.

"They were his. He was a pretty good fighter back in the day, but he'd quit and money was tight. There used to be this local crime boss named Fallon. Dad was working for him until I lost my sight. My father was a good guy, he just made some bad decisions."

There was certain desperation in the last sentence, like Matt needed to convince her of its truthfulness.

"After the accident, he started boxing again. For awhile there I thought things were going to be okay, I was learning how to use my senses and he was winning his fights, like he had back in the old days."

Matt stopped again, closed his eyes, then forced himself to relive one of the worst nights of his life.

"There was a match at the Olympic. Dad got knocked down and I kept telling him to not give up, to keep going. He got a second wind and ended up winning the fight. Afterward, he told me to wait for him outside so I did. To make a long story short, my father was murdered that night. Apparently, he was supposed to lose that match, and when he didn't Fallon had him killed."

Of course, there was more to it then that, the cries of pain his father let out while he was beaten to death, the sound of bone cracking, the way his breathing had grown shallow, then finally stopped altogether. The feel of blood on Matt's fingertips as he desperately tried to find his Dad's heartbeat. But he couldn't tell her that, at least not now. Just like he couldn't tell her about the role his father played in what happened to him. There were too many raw emotions involved. He was sure that someday, he would give her the full story, including how the Kingpin had been involved, as well as his feelings of guilt for being the reason Jack Murdock hadn't thrown the fight. He'd tell everything sooner or later, but right now he needed some distance from the memories of his father.

"Why don't you tell me more about this Abby girl?"

The sudden change of subject was not lost on Elektra, but she decided to play along, knowing that nothing she could say would do any good, at least not right now.

"Well, let's see, Abby's stubborn, doesn't listen, and she seems to enjoy hitting people."

"Sound like you," he observed in amusement.

"It's scary how accurate that statement is. Actually, we talked today while I was waiting for you. I was thinking that we should go visit her and Mark, since it's been so long since I saw them last."

"Good, if these people were the reason you decided to come back, then I definitely owe them my thanks."

Elektra was relieved that he didn't seem to have a problem with it. She had already told him what happened with Mark, figuring that if he could accept the idea of her being a hired killer, then he could surely handle that. For his part, Matt wasn't thrilled with the fact that she'd kissed someone else, but he was also smart enough to realize that if Elektra really loved this guy, then she would've stayed with him instead of returning to Hell's Kitchen. Also, Matt had been in a few relationships during her absence. They may have been short lived and meaningless, but they'd happened nonetheless. Besides, he could tell that she really cared for these people, especially Abby.

"Are you sure Mark won't mind me being there after what happened between you?'

"I was worried about that at first, but now I really don't think it'll be much of a problem. When we spoke on the phone, he never brought it up."

"Maybe he was waiting for you to say something first."

"No, I don't think that's it. I get the feeling that he knows we never would've worked out, even if I hadn't left. I'll call him before we come, let him know about you, but I honestly think things will be fine."

Matt nodded distractedly, his mind having drifted to the subject of Daredevil. He hadn't done a patrol in nearly two days. He knew that he should go, that it was his responsibility to protect Hell's Kitchen but hard as he tried, he couldn't seem to make himself get up. The feel of Elektra next to him after such a long period of loneliness was making it impossible to leave. Feeling that he deserved a break after all the sacrifices he'd made, Matt decided that Daredevil would be taking the night off, since there wasn't anything major going on that demanded his attention.

Giving Elektra a tender smile, he asked, "So what do you say about dinner?"

Had Matt known what was happening across town, he wouldn't have been so quick to give himself time off. Bullseye had just checked into one of the sleaziest motels New York had to offer. He'd barely gotten the door closed before the phone started to ring. Bullseye stared at it for several seconds, a puzzled expression on his face. The thing looked so ancient that he was amazed it still worked. Then came the more troubling question: who could possibly be calling him?

If the cops had somehow discovered his location, unlikely given how careful he'd been to keep a low profile, they would be busting the door down by now, not checking first to make sure this was a good time to arrest him. He certainly hadn't made any friends in prison, partly because he'd spent the majority of his time in solitary confinement, but mostly because he simply had no use for them. Who else would be trying to contact him?

Cautiously he picked up the receiver without offering a greeting. The man on the other end began talking immediately, his tone clipped and formal. Bullseye noticed the slightest trace of an accent

"I have a business proposition for you."

"Who is this?"

"That's of no importance to you. What is important is that my employers have followed your career for a number of years now. They believe that you can be of some assistance to us."

"First off, I don't assist anybody. You pay me, I do the hit. You don't pay me, then you can go to hell for all I care. "

"You misunderstand me. The men I represent are well aware of your fees. Rest assured, you would be well compensated for your services."

Bullseye mulled that over. The prospect of another job was tempting but…

"Tell your employers thanks but no thanks. If they ever need someone again, have them look me up, but right now I've got some personal matters to deal with."

"I see. And is it safe for me to presume that these personal matters have something to do with Elektra Natchios?'

He nearly dropped the phone. "How do you know that?"

"My organization makes it their business to know as much as possible. Including your other vendetta against a man named Matt Murdock, I believe. Or perhaps you know him better as Daredevil?'

"So Fisk was telling the truth."

"Indeed he was. Which brings me to my next point; we know you want to punish Murdock and the Natchios woman. The job in question involves some people who Elektra cares rather deeply for. Having them taken from her will undoubtedly cause a great deal of pain. Now before you turn me down again, consider how much more potent your revenge will be if she is forced to suffer yet another loss before you kill her.

Silence for a moment. Then, "Give me the specifics."

Late afternoon the next day found Elektra resting on the couch after a particularly long workout session. Matt was still at the office, though she expected him home any minute. She decided now was as good a time as any to try calling the Millers. Reaching for the phone, Elektra suddenly had a vision.

_Mark was lying on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. There was a small, sharp object embedded in his throat._

Gasping in horror, she grabbed for the phone, punching in the digits as fast as her trembling fingers would allow. Trying to stay calm, she listened as the phone rang.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

"Come on. Pick it up. Pick it up. Pick it up."

Her heart nearly stopped when it was answered. Assuming it was Mark, that there was still time, Elektra spoke as quickly as possible.

"Listen to me. You have to take Abby and get out right this second! Someone's coming after you. I'm going to call for help but you have to move now!"

Something wasn't right. Mark should've already been asking questions, demanding to know what was happening, but he wasn't saying a thing.

"Mark?"

No answer.

"Abby?"

Her voice had become extremely small by the last word, because she already knew there would be no reply. The silence on the other end of the line seemed to last an eternity. Then came the click, inevitably followed by the dial tone ringing in her ear.

It was too late. She had failed them.


	5. Chapter Five

**Author's Note:** Sorry about the evil cliffhanger guys, I just couldn't resist. I'm trying to get as much of this done as possible before school starts, but I really need reviews to keep me motivated. I'd love to hear any suggestions you have. As always, enjoy the story and thanks for reading.

**Disclaimer: **You know what? I'm getting unbearably sick of writing these things, so from now on you can look back at previous chapters if you really need to see one.

**The Return**

Chapter Five

Elektra stormed up to Stick, having just arrived at The Compound. Matt trailed a few steps behind her. Not bothering with greetings, she went straight to the question that had been gnawing at her for hours now.

"Are they alive?"

"My men got there as soon as they could. Unfortunately, Mark was already dead when they entered the house."

"And you couldn't use Kimagure?"

"It was too late for that."

Elektra felt like she'd been sucker punched. Even after seeing all the blood, even after the phone call, she'd still been clinging to the possibility that Mark had survived. Almost as bad as the news itself was the way in which Stick delivered it. There was no emotion, no indication that they were discussing anything more interesting then the weather. A wave of anger washed over her, but was quickly replaced by fear and concern. If Mark was dead did that mean that…?

"Abby, how's Abby?"

"She's fine. She wasn't present during the attack."

The relief at hearing that Abby was alive and unhurt was so strong that, for a moment it eclipsed everything else, including her grief over the loss of Mark, but Stick was talking again and Elektra forced herself to listen.

"She was found alone near the outskirts of town. "

"Wait, that doesn't make sense. From what they both told me, Mark always made Abby stay nearby in case something like this happened. Why would Abby be wandering around by herself when they lived miles away from anywhere?"

"I don't know, Elektra. You'll have to ask her that later. Right now there's something I think you both need to see."

A man entered the room, handing Stick a piece of paper, then quickly leaving without saying a word. Stick held it out for her inspection, a grim expression on his face. The page was stained with drops of what she knew had to be blood. Reading the single sentence aloud, anger roared within her like a tidal wave.

"Looks like we have another orphan on our hands."

"Bullseye."

His voice was full of so much undisguised hatred that Elektra could barely believe it was Matt who had spoken. He'd become very pale and there was a muscle quivering in his jaw. Crumpling the note in her hand, Elektra once again addressed her old sensei.

"You said the house was empty when your men got there?"

Stick nodded. "The note was found near the body."

"But why did he leave, why not wait for Abby to come home?"

"The Hand must have realized that we'd gotten to her first. It's likely they contacted him and warned him to leave before our forces arrived."

"You always said The Hand hated using outsiders. If they discovered Mark and Abby's location, then why not send one of their own to do the job?"

"Perhaps they were worried that you would show up."

Elektra couldn't respond to that. Finding out that Bullseye, the only person she'd ever lost to, the person who'd murdered her, finding out that he was also responsible for Mark's death was too much to handle. Matt was the one to break the silence that had settled over the room.

"This can't be right. Bullseye is supposed to be rotting in prison right now. And even if he did manage to escape, there's no way he'd be able to do this, not after what happened to his hands."

Stick raised an eyebrow. "Really Mr. Murdock, I thought you were smarter then that. You of all people should know that men like Bullseye always find ways to overcome those kinds of setbacks."

"The news. If he'd broken out we would've heard something."

He didn't believe a word he was saying, Elektra knew that immediately. Stick, it seemed, realized the same thing.

"Mr. Murdock, don't insult yourself by pretending that the idea of a prison break being covered up is inconceivable to you."

Before Matt could answer, another man entered the room, clearing his throat loudly.

"What is it?" Stick asked in that infuriatingly calm way of his.

"Sorry to interrupt, but the sedative we gave the girl is starting to wear off. She should be awake soon. I thought you'd want to know."

"Thank you." He waved a hand in dismissal, then turned to answer Elektra's unspoken question. "Yes, my men gave her a sedative. Apparently when they tried to take her, she became violent. They felt it was necessary."

Elektra bit her lip, stopping herself from replying. Arguing with Stick about his methods would be useless. Instead, she focused on the more pressing issue.

"I need to see Abby. She'll be scared when she wakes up and I don't want her thinking she's alone."

Stick agreed, telling Elektra that Abby was in the same room she'd occupied the last time she was here adding that her usual quarters would be waiting for them whenever they were ready.

The couple walked in silence until they reached the entrance to the dojo where Abby was sleeping. A fresh surge of anger had built within Elektra. Bullseye had once again robbed her of someone she loved, leaving her the task of telling Abby that her father was gone.

"You want me to go with you?"

"No, no it's okay. I have to do this alone."

Elektra took a few steps forward before turning back around.

"How do you tell a fourteen year old girl that the only person she had left in the world is dead?"

Matt heard the distress in her voice, but was unable to provide her with any answer that was even halfway decent.

"I guess the only thing you can do is tell her the truth."

Elektra sighed, knowing that Abby would be devastated no matter what she said. Needing to give herself a few more seconds, she directed Matt to where her dojo was and promised to meet him there later.

Before leaving, Matt pulled her into a tight hug and said "It'll be okay."

Still not convinced, Elektra watched him go, then headed inside to wait for Abby to wake up.


	6. Chapter Six

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone. This chapter was a little rushed, so it might not be as well written as the others. Regardless, send me a review and tell me what you think.

**The Return**

Chapter Six

Elektra quietly approached the cot Abby was lying on. She looked peaceful in sleep, and Elektra wished that she could remain that way for a little longer. As soon as Abby woke up, they would all have to start dealing with the realities of what Bullseye had done.

She continued to stand over the girl carefully watching for signs that whatever concoction she had been given was starting to wear off. A short time later, Elektra noticed her eyes opening. She blinked repeatedly, confused by the unfamiliar surroundings. Moving to kneel by her side, Elektra gently ran a hand through Abby's hair, remembering how calming the gesture had been when her own mother used it on her as a child.

"You're okay, Abby. You're safe."

"Elektra?"

"I'm here, don't worry. How are you feeling?"

"My head is killing me."

"That's a side effect of the sedative. The pain will subside in a few minutes."

"Where-where are we?"

Her voice was scratchy and distant, making it obvious that she hadn't yet woken up completely

"We're at The Compound. Stick's men found you and brought you here."

Those words seemed to shock Abby into full awareness. She sat up too fast, then quickly regretted the action as it sent a stab of pain coursing through her skull. There were hands on her shoulders, pushing her back down, then Elektra was speaking in a low, soothing tone.

"Hey, take it easy. No sudden moves yet."

"Where's Dad?"

"Abby calm down."

"You don't understand! They said I was in danger and that they were taking me someplace safe, but they wouldn't say anything about Dad. He wasn't there and they wouldn't go back and get him. I tried telling them that I couldn't leave without him, but they didn't listen!"

There were tears running down her face by now, and she looked more scared then Elektra had ever seen her.

"Abby…" She faltered, then ploughed ahead. If she didn't do it now she might never be able to and it was best that the news came fro her. "Abby, your father is dead."

"What?"

The word was said so quietly that Elektra had to strain to hear it.

"The Hand found out where the two of you were. They sent someone to the house and…."

She stopped, partially because she didn't know what to say, partially because Abby was no longer listening to her. She was sobbing uncontrollably as Elektra watched, helpless to do anything but offer empty words that she knew from experience would do no good.

"Abby, I'm so, so sorry. If there had been anything-"

"Why couldn't you bring him back? You brought me back, why not him?"

"It wasn't an option. Kimagure has to be used within a certain amount of time and even then there are no guarantees."

Elektra placed a hand on her back, attempting to comfort her, but was surprised when Abby shrugged it off.

"Abby, please, let me help you."

Abby shook her head, looking up at her with pain filled eyes."

"I just- I want to be alone for awhile."

"Abby, you shouldn't be by yourself right now

"Please, just go."

The girl was begging, and that, more then anything else broke Elektra's heart. She didn't want to leave, but she also realized that staying when she was unwelcome wouldn't help either.

"Okay, but if you need anything-"

"Yeah, I get it."

Elektra knew by her tone that the conversation was over, so she headed for the door, stopping at the threshold to give Abby one last chance to call her back. The girl said nothing, only continued to cry, turning to face the wall. Forced to admit defeat, Elektra walked out into the warm evening air.

* * *

Matt was waiting for her when she got back, wearing an expression of concern and sympathy.

"How did it go?"

Elektra sat down next to him on the small cot, exhausted and unable to hide her despair.

"God Matt that was one of the hardest things I've ever done."

"That bad?"

"I've never seen her like that. She just looked so…broken."

"Well what else can you expect after hearing something like that?"

"But that's not the worst part though. She wouldn't let me do anything to help, practically threw me out before I could even try."

"Give it time," Matt said reasonably. "She'll talk when she's ready."

"I hope you're right. It's just that I wanted to protect her from this so badly, you know?"

Matt nodded an affirmative, silently urging her to continue.

"I wanted her to have a normal life, to not get damaged anymore by all the insanity we live with."

"You can't shield her from everything, Elektra."

"No, but I wanted to shield from this. You and I both know what losing someone that way does to you."

Matt couldn't deny that so he didn't bother trying. Instead he turned to the only thing that could possibly be considered good in this situation.

"At least Bullseye didn't get to her."

Rather then having the comforting effect Matt had intended, his words conjured up a whole series of images that Elektra would have preferred to forget.

In her mind's eye, she saw her father lying dead amongst hundreds of his business papers, followed by Mark, whose only mission in life had been to protect his daughter. Almost worst of all was the way Abby had looked after being told her father was gone. The same man had caused all of this. The same man who was still walking around healthy as ever, viewing his victims as nothing more then players in a game he used to amuse himself.

Not willing to break down for even a moment, she got up, mumbling something about needing some fresh air.

Realizing that he'd only managed to make things worse, Matt stood as well, grabbing her hand before she could get too far away.

"I'm sorry Elektra. I didn't mean to-"

"No don't apologize. It's not your fault; I just really need some air."

Pulling free from his grasp, Elektra wiped away the tears that were starting to spill over. She'd almost made it to the door before Matt called out to her.

"Stay Elektra, stay with me."

She froze on the spot, just as he'd hoped she would. Matt took the opportunity to reclaim her hand, turning her around to face him.

"Tell me what's wrong?"

Too tired to argue, and also not really wanting to, Elektra finally gave in.

"I can't help thinking that if Abby had been in that house; Bullseye would've killed her to get back at me, even if The Hand only hired him to kidnap her."

"You don't know that for sure."

"Of course I do, Matt, the same way you do. He'd kill her and she'd end up just like Mark. Just like my father,"

"But he didn't. She's safe and she's in a place where he can't touch her. Bullseye will be out of the picture soon enough, I promise you that."

"Oh he'll be out of the picture all right, because I'm going to kill him for this."


	7. Chapter Seven

**Author's Note: **Hey everybody. I know this one is pretty short (and probably a little boring) but it's just something to keep you guys reading until I get to the next chapter, which (hopefully anyways) will be better. Also, thanks to red lightning and Ratdogtwo for your reviews. I usually reply to them individually, but I just never got around to it this time. I hope you guys enjoy this, and remember, more reviews equal faster updates.

The Return

Chapter Seven

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"And good morning to you too."

"Don't play games with me Stick; I'm not in the mood. What exactly is going on?"

Elektra threw her arm in the direction of the training area they were standing over. Abby, bow stick in hand, was currently sparring with a group of six men, none of whom seemed to be faring very well.

"Much as this may shock you, I had no intention of resuming Abby's training, at least not this soon after Mr. Miller's death. She was the one who insisted I do so."

"And you agreed?"

"What would you have me do?"

"Say no! Mark hasn't been dead twenty four hours yet. Do you honestly believe that she's thinking clearly right now?"

Stick remained silent for a long time, keeping his eyes riveted on what was happening below them. Finally, after Elektra had given up on getting a response, he said "Look at her. Tell me what you see."

She tossed a quick glance at the combatants, then returned her gaze to Stick, glaring at him impatiently.

"What am I supposed to be looking for?"

"Just watch."

She grudgingly obeyed, cursing her mentor's inability to provide straight answers. At first, she saw nothing unusual. Abby was down to four opponents now and appeared to be doing well. It wasn't for a few moments that Elektra realized what Stick was talking about. Abby had just taken down another man, but instead of moving on, she slammed her bow stick into his midsection.

The match continued with more of the same. When Elektra had witnessed this scene the previous year, Abby had shown the same amount of skill and potential, but without the rage and violence that was there now. Watching the fight was like seeing herself right before Stick ordered her to leave. It wasn't a comforting thought.

Elektra shook her head, wanting desperately to deny what was so obviously true.

"It's normal to be angry after someone close to you dies. Maybe that's all this is, just a normal reaction."

Even as she said this, a loud snap could be heard, mingled with a scream of agony from the last man to fall. Clutching at his ribcage he curled into the fetal position, attempting to both ward off the pain, and protect himself should the girl try to attack him again.

Abby meanwhile seemed to have come out of a daze, and was looking around at what she had done with a mixture of horror and confusion. Suddenly, her gaze fell on Elektra. The two made eye contact for about half a second before Abby tossed her stick to the ground, fleeing in the opposite direction.

"Still think its just normal reaction?"

Elektra juerked at the sound of Stick's voice, having almost forgotten he was there.

"This can't happen; I can't let her become what I did."

"Then you'll need to speak with her."

"And say what, that she shouldn't be angry, that she shouldn't want revenge? Think about who you're talking to, Stick."

"My point exactly."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you're the only one she has left, the only one she trusts. She'll only hear this from you."

Elektra laughed humorlessly. "Trust me; I'm not the person to talk to her about the pitfalls of revenge, especially not right now."

Stick nodded as though he'd been expecting that. "So you intend to kill Bullseye."

Having grown accustomed to Stick's ability to know things he shouldn't, Elektra was only mildly surprised by the remark..

"Let me guess, you're going to tell me how wrong it is."

"I'll do nothing of the sort. I will however, remind you that your thirst for vengeance has cost you a great deal in the past."

"I'm a thousand times better then I was then. Bullseye won't be able to take me out a second time."

"Really? Well that is reassuring. Tell me, how is Mr. Murdock this morning?"

Elektra read the meaning behind the seemingly innocuous question and it took every ounce of willpower she possessed not to either burst into tears or punch Stick. As if she didn't feel terrible enough about stabbing Matt without having it thrown in her face.

"That was a low blow, old man."

"Perhaps, but I think it got the point across."

Elektra hated the fact that he was right almost as much as she hated the fact that she was about to agree with him. However, both were true and she saw no way around them.

"Fine, I'll talk to her."

She turned to walk away, only to be stopped by Stick's hand on her shoulder. When he spoke, it was one of the rare times when Elektra couldn't detect a single note of sarcasm lacing his words.

"You should know that despite what you think, there are worse people in the world for Abby to look up to."

Her lips twitching in the ghost of a smile, Elektra replied "Is that your way of paying me a compliment, sensei?"

"Not at all, I'm simply stating a fact that you, in your infinite stubbornness, have continually failed to grasp."

There were a lot of things she hated about Stick. He was an arrogant son of a bitch who liked to jerk people around. He also had an annoying habit of being right a ridiculous amount of the time. Most of all though, Elektra hated the fact that she always had, and always would respect him


	8. Chapter Eight

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone, bet you're surprised that I updated already. Well, I left you with that lousy chapter last time, so I figured I'd better hurry up and get this done. That said, I would appreciate it if you would take the time to review this one. It was somewhat difficult, and I'd like to know how you feel I did with it. I'd also love to hear about any plot ideas you have, what you think of the story overall, and generally how you think I'm doing as a writer. Enjoy and thanks for suffering through my ramblings .

**The Return**

Chapter Eight

By the time she reached Abby's cabin, Elektra had thought of and rejected over a dozen possible ways to start the conversation. In the end, she decided that none of them were satisfactory, which meant that she would need to improvise. Improvising was good, she knew how to improvise. Gathering her resolve, Elektra knocked softly on the door.

"Abby, you in there?"

There was no answer.

"Abby, come on, we need to talk."

Elektra waited, but got no reply. Danm kid was as stubborn as she was. Slowly, she opened the door and stepped inside.

Abby was sitting on one of the cots with her knees drawn up to her chin. As she got closer, Elektra realized how awful the girl truly looked. Her skin was pale, her eyes red and bloodshot. She gave no indication that she was even aware of Elektra's presence.

"Hey," the older woman said quietly.

Abby didn't look up, focusing instead on removing an imaginary piece of lint from her jeans.

Scanning the room, Elektra noticed a small bowl of soup lying untouched on the table.

"When was the last time you ate?"

Abby shrugged wordlessly..

"I'm serious. When did you eat last?"

Abby still refused to look at her, but this time she did give a mumbled reply.

"Yesterday sometime."

"Yesterday when?"

"Breakfast maybe? Don't really remember."

"You need to eat something."

"Don't want to. The food tastes like crap."

Elektra raised her eyebrows at the girl's assessment, but, remembering her own experiences with the food here, decided not to contradict it.

"Did you sleep last night?"

The answer was painfully obvious, but Elektra was curious to know if Abby would lie to her about it. She was disappointed when Abby reverted back to the disinterested shrug she'd used earlier. Her frustration mounting, Elektra carefully took a seat next to the girl.

"Abbs, I know you're hurting, but you can't do this. Your father would ki- your father would never forgive me if he knew I was letting you get away with not taking care of yourself."

Elektra didn't miss the way Abby flinched slightly at the mention of Mark. She almost reached out to put an arm around her, but stopped at the last moment, when she saw the way Abby shrank back at the motion. Ignoring the hurt that rejection caused, Elektra changed tactics.

"So, you want to tell me why you asked Stick to start training you again?"

As expected, her only answer was that noncommittal shrug which seemed to have taken the place of actual speech.

"Abby, you know I would never do anything to hurt you."

It took a few seconds, but Abby finally gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"And you know that you can trust me, right?"

Again she nodded, seeming reluctant to do so.

"Then why are you doing this, pushing me away like this?"

Abby said nothing, resolutely keeping her eyes downward.

Okay, so this approach clearly wasn't working. Time to do that improvising she was supposed to be so great at. They sat in silence, Elektra trying to figure out her next move while Abby continued to ignore her.

Watching from the corner of her eye, Elektra wished for about the thousandth time that Abby wasn't so much like her. Maybe then she wouldn't insist on dealing with everything by herself. Wait a minute, maybe that was the answer. If they were as alike as she thought they were, then Abby would never be able to back down from a challenge.

Elektra stood, moved to the center of the room, then turned to face the girl.

"Get up," she said in her most authoritative tone.

Startled, Abby looked up at her for the first time since she'd entered.

"Get up," she repeated.

Still confused, Abby obeyed nonetheless.

"What's going on?"

"We're having that rematch."

"Huh?"

"On the phone you said that we should have a rematch. We're going to do it."

"Now?"

"Yes now. Unless you have somewhere else you need to be?"

"No but-"

"But what? You could handle Stick's lackeys but you can't handle me?"

Abby's eyes flashed dangerously. Confusion, hurt, and anger flitted across her face. Elektra was mocking her, and not in the teasing way she was used to.

"Fine, let's go."

Before she knew what was happening, Abby was on the ground, staring dazedly at the woman she respected more then anyone else.

"First lesson: if you're going to fight someone, don't waste time. An enemy only needs one second to kill you. Now, stand up and try again."

Abby did so, wondering if this was some kind of punishment for what had happened earlier that day. She didn't have much time to dwell on it, for Elektra was already aiming another blow at her. She moved, but not fast enough. A sharp pain hit her arm, causing her to stumble backward.

Elektra didn't let up, advancing on her in a way that left no doubt as to what her intentions were. Abby ducked sideways, narrowly avoiding a kick to her kneecaps.

"Good, but not good enough. You need to be quicker. Now try and hit me."

Abby charged, but Elektra stepped to the left, sticking out her foot as she did so. Abby found herself on the ground for the second time in less then two minutes. Now however, Elektra allowed her to get up without waging a new attack.

"Talk to me, Abby."

Her voice had become more gentle. The rapid change both angered and unnerved the younger girl. She threw another punch, her teeth gritted together in rage.

"This is a fight, not a therapy session."

Elektra caught the blow, then released Abby's fist unexpectedly, causing her to fly backwards again. She managed to stay on her feet, but just barely. Elektra moved toward her again, more slowly this time.

"People are going to taunt you, try to get you angry and off balance. You'll have to learn to block that out if you want to stay alive."

She hated this, hated the look of betrayal on Abby's face, hated the way she was talking down to her in a cold, impersonal voice.

_Stop, you need to do this. It's the only way. You have to do it. It's the only way to get through to her, the only way to stop her from ending up like you._

With that in mind, Elektra dodged a roundhouse kick from Abby, smirking at the teenager.

Abby was growing more frustrated by the minute. The thing that angered her the most was that Elektra was having no trouble at all, while she could barely keep up.

"Dammit, E, why are you doing this?"

"You're the one who wanted training. Well you're getting it. Either I teach you now, or you die later. Your choice."

Those words hit home. Elektra saw tears of rage forming in Abby's eyes and found it nearly impossible not to call this whole thing off. But it wasn't time yet. Almost, but not quite All she needed was a few more minutes at the very most

Abby's attacks were quickly becoming more sloppy and amateurish. Exhaustion, frustration, and blurred vision were all taking their toll. Seizing the opportunity, Elektra grabbed Abby's arms, pinning them to her sides.

"Tell me why you won't let me in. What's going on that's so bad you can't even talk to me about it?"

Abby struggled in vain, doing everything she could think of to get away, but Elektra was too strong.

"Let me go!"

"Talk to me and I will."

"I can't! Don't you get it? I just can't!"

There was such anguish, such raw pain in her voice, that Elektra loosened her hold momentarily. Without the extra source of support, Abby's already shaky knees gave out.

Elektra caught her before she could hit the ground, pulling her as close as possible. She'd pushed too hard when she should have left it alone, and now Abby was even worse off then before.

"Abby, God Abby, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

She repeated apologies over and over while Abby lay plaintively in her arms. The sobs caused her to tremble uncontrollably, and now she was simply too tired to care how weak she must seem right now.

Elektra merely tightened her grip, stroking the girl's hair in an attempt to provide some sort of comfort. This was all her fault. Why did she always have to-

Her thoughts completely stopped, her mind stuck in a loop for several moments before she could focus again. Because she'd heard something, or at least thought she'd heard something, but that was impossible.

Abby had started mumbling in between her cries. At first, the words had been incoherent, but just now Elektra had been able to make out part of what she was saying. . Luckily, she wasn't forced to make her repeat it, because it seemed to be the only thing she could say right then.

"It's my fault. It's all my fault."


	9. Chapter Nine

**Author's Note**: Well, here's chapter nine. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys rock. Speaking of that, I just realized that my account was set to block anonymous reviews. It's not anymore, so if you tried to review and it didn't work, then you should be able to now. Also, school starts up pretty soon, which means that it'll probably take me longer to update. Keep giving me feedback and I'll work as hard as I can to keep the chapters coming. Enjoy and keep your fingers crossed that I got into the journalism class I signed up for.

**The Return**

Chapter Nine

Moments ago, Elektra would have thought it impossible that she could despise Bullseye any more then she already did. However, realizing that Abby was somehow blaming herself for Mark's death, Elektra discovered that when it came to him, her hatred knew no bounds. Placing a finger under Abby's chin, she forced the teenager to look at her.

"Abby, I don't know what you're thinking, but this wasn't your fault."

"You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me. Explain why you're blaming yourself for something you had absolutely no control over."

There was a long silence before Abby replied in a barely audible whisper. "I wasn't there."

"I know, Stick already told us that but-"

"I snuck out!"

The words escaped her mouth before Abby could stop them, leaving her no other choice but to continue.

"I was bored and Dad wouldn't let me go anywhere, so I left. I didn't mean to be gone as long as I was, I just lost track of time.

Abby looked away, desperately trying to block the tears that were threatening to come again.

"They never cared about him; it was always me they wanted. And I wasn't there. And now he's dead because I was too stupid to listen."

"Abby-"

"I should have protected him."

"Abby-"

"It should've been me instead of him."

"Enough."

Abby immediately became silent..

"Don't you ever, ever, even think that again. Understand?"

She nodded mutely, the look on Elektra's face telling her that a negative response would not be accepted.

"Good. Now, as much as you don't want to hear this, there was nothing you could have done, even if you had been there."

"I could have helped him."

"No you couldn't. I know how good you are, Abby, I'm not disputing that, but the person they sent would have killed you within seconds."

Elektra paused here in an attempt to reign in her emotions. Despite her best efforts, there was a slight crack in her voice when she continued.

"After everything we went through, I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you."

Abby was torn. She desperately wanted to believe what Elektra was saying, but the guilt was still there. Pressing down on her. Suffocating her.

Elektra reached out to place an arm around her shoulders, and this time Abby didn't resist "Don't let what happened to your dad turn you into a different person. It's not what he would want."

Abby choked back a sob, barely able to maintain control. Finding it difficult to speak past the lump in her throat she asked, "Do you…do you know how it happened? How he died?"

Elektra immediately flashed back to the image of Mark on the floor with blood pooling around him. "It was quick, he didn't fell anything."

Thankfully, Abby didn't press for details, not that Elektra would have given her any. Feeling the girl shudder slightly, Elektra looked down into her suspiciously bright eyes.

"My Dad's dead."

"I know."

"I miss him."

"I know, so do I."

They remained silent for a long time, both lost in their own thoughts. Inevitably, fatigue caught up with Abby, who soon fell asleep with her head resting on Elektra's shoulder. Noticing this, the older woman carefully picked her up and placed her on the cot.

She stood there watching the girl sleep for a long time, until a familiar tapping noise reached her ears.

"If you're trying to sneak up on me you'll have to do better then that."

"Good to know, except I wasn't trying to sneak up on you."

Elektra turned around to face Matt standing just outside the doorway, staring in the general direction of where Abby was lying."

"How's she doing?"

"Better I think. She's at least willing to talk to me now." Tossing a glance at the sleeping teenager, Elektra lowered her voice. "Let's go outside. This is the first time she's slept in a while and I don't want to wake her."

Matt nodded in agreement, motioning her to precede him outside. Closing the door behind him, he stopped next to her a few paces away.

"Did you get in touch with Foggy?"

"Yeah, for a few minutes anyways. It's the first time in my life that I was thankful for bad cell phone reception."

"So what did you tell him?"

"Not much of anything really. It's not the easiest situation in the world to explain. Needless to say I'll be doing some serious groveling when we get back."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize."

Elektra gave him a weak smile, pulling him into a hug so tight it was almost painful. Matt returned the gesture, but not without dropping his stick in the process. She finally released him after almost a full minute, wiping away the single tear that managed to slip past her defenses.

"What was that for.

"No idea. Just needed it I guess."

Matt smiled, pressing a light kiss to her temple. "It will get better."

"Yeah, I hope so."

The moment of lightness didn't last long. Matt pulled away from the embrace, suddenly seeming uncomfortable. Sighing, he mentally prepared himself for the confrontation to come. Elektra looked at him questioningly, surprised by his sudden change in demeanor.

"What's going on?"

"Listen Elektra, about Bullseye-"

"I hope you're not going to say what I think you are."

"You told me you were done with killing."

"I said that I was done with being an assassin, this is completely different."

"Why, because of who the victim is? Is that how you're going to justify it?"

"I don't have to justify it, especially not to you. Have you forgotten everything he's done?"

"Forgotten? No, I haven't forgotten anything, much as I want to. You know what I remember most of all? You lying in my arms bleeding to death. And now you expect me to stand by and do nothing while you go off to face him again. Well I'm sorry, but it's not going to happen."

For once, Matt was happy to have his sunglasses as they prevented Elektra from seeing the tears glistening in his eyes.

"Every night for weeks, I would sit up late analyzing every detail of what happened the night you died. And when I thought about throwing Bullseye onto Urich's car, I used to try and convince myself that it was on purpose, that I threw him when I did because I knew that he'd survive. The thing is that it never quite worked. He was asking me for mercy. Mercy, after what he did to you. I was so angry, and my radar was still scrambled. I didn't hear the car coming, but I threw him anyway. I wanted him dead, Elektra. And what scares me, what really, really scares me, is that I still do."

"Matt…" She didn't know what to say, didn't know how to react.

"Let me go after him."

Elektra shook her head. "This is my responsibility."

"No, no it's not. Think about it, think about what it would do to Abby if something went wrong."

When Elektra didn't respond, he tilted her chin up, running his fingers down her neck until he reached the faded scar where Bullseye's playing card had once sliced across it.

"He deserves whatever you have planned, and I'll make sure he pays for everything, including what he did to Mark, but please, please, don't ask me to risk losing you again because I can't.. I love you too damn much."

It took a moment for Elektra to realize the full implications of what he'd said. Matt loved her. She wasn't surprised really. After all, he was willing to forgive her for not coming back sooner, for being everything he would normally fight against. He was even wiling to kill for her, so it was obvious what his feelings were, but hearing it out loud still sent shivers down her spine.

"Matt, I-"

But he wasn't listening. Instead he was looking at a point just over her left shoulder. Turning to see what the problem was, Elektra saw Abby standing there, eyes moving back and forth between the two of them, her features showing a mixture of hurt and confusion.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Author's Note**: Hey everybody. This chapter is very similar to chapter seven mainly because I don't think I did a very good job on it. What I had originally planned wasn't working so I had to rewrite this like five different times. I realize that I haven't updated for awhile, and I'm sorry about that. It's just that with school and homework I haven't been as motivated to write as I usually am. I also apologize for this being so short. I cut some things out and moved them to the next chapter just for the sake of getting it done before too many people lost interest. Thanks as always to everyone who reviewed, please keep them coming even if (like me) you didn't like this chapter all that much.

**The Return**

Chapter Ten

Matt and Elektra broke apart like two teenagers who'd been caught sneaking in after curfew. Abby's gaze continued to shift from one to the other, finally settling on Matt. Knowing that it fell to her to provide some sort of explanation, Elektra did her best to ignore the awkwardness of the situation.

"Abby, this is Matt Murdock. He- we- I…"

She was stammering. This wasn't good. Stammering was a sign of guilt. Not that she had anything to feel guilty for, but with the look Abby was giving them it was hard not to. Fortunately Matt stepped in, extending his hand and giving Abby a lopsided smile.

"Hi, it's good to meet you."

Abby didn't reply, and after realizing that his greeting would not be returned, Matt let his arm drop to his side.

"So, when you said you were in New York, you were with him?" Though she tried to sound normal, Abby couldn't keep the sadness out of her voice.

"Yes, but-"

She was cut off by Abby, who was addressing Matt for the first time.

"What's with the shades?"

Caught off guard by the suddenness of the question, Matt blinked several times. "Sorry?"

"The glasses. Nobody wears sunglasses in this weather." She waved toward the overcast sky.

"Well it tends to make people uncomfortable if I don't."

"Why would it…" Abby trailed off, noticing for the first time the cane lying forgotten on the ground. When it finally clicked into place, Abby's face turned a shade of red closely resembling that of the glasses she'd just commented on.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were- I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

Heavy silence fell between them while Matt and Elektra tried to figure out what to say. For her part, Abby was unsure what to make of this new development. Elektra dating someone was weird enough, but a blind guy? If anything, Abby would have expected her to go out with some ass kicking Bruce Lee type. This was becoming too tense, there was too much information to process, and she needed some time to figure it all out.

"You know what? I think I just got my appetite back, so I'm going to try and find something to eat that doesn't taste like toxic waste."

And with that she was gone, practically sprinting in the other direction before either adult could stop her. Matt waited until he was sure she was out of earshot before speaking again.

"Something tells me I won't be getting the top spot on her favorite people list."

"I can't believe she found out like that. Which reminds me, how did she manage to sneak up on you?"

The question wasn't accusatory; Elektra was simply confused as to how Matt hadn't noticed Abby earlier given how sharp his senses were.

"Me? She snuck up on you too."

"Yes, but I'm not the one who hears whispers from a block away."

Matt shrugged. "Sometimes when I'm with you I don't hear things the way I normally do." Feeling strangely embarrassed by the admission, he hurried to change the subject. "This might seem weird after what just happened, but I really like her."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I guess she reminds me of you."

"You realize that you're probably the only person on earth who would consider that a good thing."

"Maybe, but you're probably the only person on earth who would knowingly get involved with a man who spends his nights jumping rooftops in a devil costume. What does that tell you?"

"Probably that I need a hell of a lot more therapy then I originally thought."

"Really? I just thought it meant that you liked guys who wear leather."

Elektra smiled warmly, giving him a light kiss on the lips. "I need to go find Abby. We'll talk when I get back."

Matt was tempted to ask her to stay, but didn't stop her from leaving. It was clear that Abby was her top priority at the moment and he certainly couldn't blame her for that. Right now he had to concentrate on stopping Bullseye before he had the chance to hurt anyone else.

* * *

The man in question was currently sitting in yet another dingy hotel room, having another conversation with the man who'd originally contacted him about the job.

"You have failed to complete your objective."

"Look, it was your people who told me that the girl would be there. It's not my fault that your information was wrong."

"You don't seem to understand the severity of the situation. My employers will not tolerate failure."

"And I haven't failed. The job will still get done; it's just a matter of getting my hands on the kid."

"Easier said then done. We can assume that she's with Murdock and the Natchios woman, in a location which you could not possibly hope to penetrate."

"Relax. If they're in hiding, then all I need to do get them out in the open."

"And how may I ask are you planning to do that?"

"It'll be dealt with. Tell your bosses to sit tight. I've got a flight to New York later tonight and once I get there it'll only be a matter of time before all three of them are dead."


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Author's Note**: Finally, an update! Yes, I know it took forever, but at least this is one of the longer chapters. Actually, I should be doing my homework right now, but this is just so much more fun then filling out budget sheets. Thank you so much to everybody who reviewed and to everyone nice enough to bear with me through these sporadic updates. Keep giving me feedback and ideas so I know what you guys think.

**The Return**

Chapter Eleven

After a few minutes of searching, Elektra found Abby sitting in the middle of one of the empty training platforms. Taking a seat next to her, Elektra waited to see if Abby would acknowledge her. Not surprisingly, the girl said nothing, which left Elektra the not so easy task of starting the conversation.

"Look, I know you're mad at me."

"I'm not mad."

Elektra opened her mouth to argue, but Abby beat her to it.

"I'm not mad about you and Matt. I just- I wasn't expecting it, that's all." Abby made sure to look Elektra straight in the eye so the older woman would know she was telling the truth.

Elektra scrutinized her for a long moment, searching for any indication that she was lying. She found nothing, which only confused her more. Seeing this, Abby rushed to explain herself.

"I was mad for about two minutes but…"

"But what?"

Abby shook her head, unsure how to voice what she was thinking, but Elektra wouldn't let it drop.

"Abby, if this isn't about Matt, then what's going on?"

The teenager forced herself to look up, barely managing to keep her voice from cracking.

"The man who killed Dad, he killed you too?"

Elektra was taken aback by the question, though it really shouldn't have surprised her at all. She'd been so focused on Abby's reaction to Matt that she'd somehow forgotten the argument that had probably caused the teenager to wake up in the first place.

Snapping back to reality, Elektra realized that Abby was still waiting for an answer. She didn't want to tell her the truth, didn't want her to find out about this so soon after losing Mark, but there seemed to be no alternative.

"Yes, he killed me too."

Abby had been expecting that, had already known what the answer would be, but it was still shocking. Elektra, the person who'd brought her back from the dead, the person she'd thought was all but invincible, had been dead herself.

There were a million questions whirling around in her mind, but her ability to speak seemed to have deserted her.

"I know this must seem insane to you, and I know there are things you don't understand."

She waited for Abby to nod an affirmative before going on. "I'll tell you everything you want to know, but on one condition."

The teenager immediately grew suspicious. "What's that?"

"You have to eat something. You're pale, you're starting to look dehydrated, and the last thing we need right now is for you to get sick."

Abby rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You worry too much."

"Humor me."

"The food tastes like garbage."

"I'll buy you a pizza later."

"Throw in fifty bucks and you've got a deal."

* * *

"And you actually said yes?" Matt didn't bother trying to contain his amusement. 

Elektra stopped her pacing long enough to glare at him from where he lay sprawled out on the two cots they had pushed together earlier that night. "Of course I did. And is it really that funny to you?"

"Elektra, there aren't many things going on right now that I find even remotely funny. You bribing a fourteen year old is right at the top of that list."

Personally, Elektra found it more sad then amusing, but now wasn't the time to discuss it. "I told her everything."

Matt sobered instantly, all traces of humor gone. "Everything? Your parents, Bullseye, us? You told her all of it?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"And I think she's still trying to process everything."

"Can you blame her? This whole thing is like a bad movie script."

"Well then I really wish someone would fire the writers."

Elektra resumed her pacing, moving across the room another few times before a loud sigh from Matt caught her attention. Pausing again, she raised a questioning eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing, except for the fact that you've been wearing a trench in the floor ever since you got back."

"What's your point?"

"My point is that it's starting to make me nervous. Come and lay down for awhile."

"I'm not tired," she replied instantly.

"Then don't sleep. Just do me a favor and relax for a few minutes."

"There's no time for that. Bullseye is still out there."

"And we have absolutely no idea where he is."

"We both know he's heading for New York Matt. And I know that you're stalling so you can try and convince me not to go."

He couldn't deny that one, which meant the only option left was to change tactics. "There are millions of people in the city. How do you expect to find him?"

"I expect that he'll find us."

"And if he doesn't."

"You're the one with the superhearing."

Matt rolled his eyes at her description. "It doesn't work like that. I'd have to filter through a billion different sounds and there's still no guarantee that we'd find him."

"So what do you suggest? That we just sit here and wait for him to make the next move?"

"I don't know yet. What I do know is that we're both dead on our feet and that whatever we decide it won't be happening tonight."

Elektra was wavering. Yes she was tired, and yes there was no way they could get a flight back until at least tomorrow, but sleeping at a time like this seemed so out of the question.

"If something happens-"

"They'll wake us if it does."

Elektra gazed at him for a long moment before shaking her head in resignation. Crossing the room in two quick strides she climbed in next to him, settling herself against his chest.

"That wasn't fair you know."

"What wasn't fair?"

"That look."

"What look?"

"The 'poor little boy who can't afford food' look you used to get me over here."

"How do you think I win most of my court cases?"

Elektra smiled despite herself, trying valiantly to keep her eyes open. Usually she could go much longer then this with a minimum amount of sleep, but only if she kept moving, kept focusing on her next objective. And right now the emotional strain of the last few days was starting to win out. Just as she was starting to drift off, Matt's voice came to her ear, barely above a whisper.

"I need you to do something for me."

"Matt, if you're going to ask me to stay here-"

"I'm not. God knows I want to, but I know you never would, no matter what I said. But you have to promise me that you'll let me help, that you won't try and face him by yourself."

There was the smallest of hesitations. Then, "All right."

Matt blinked several times in the darkness; surprised by the lack of argument on her part. "Just like that?"

"Just like that," she confirmed.

"Why?"

"Does it really matter?"

"No, I guess it doesn't."

Matt didn't press any further. Yes he was confused and somewhat suspicious as to why she'd agreed so fast, but her heart rate was steady, which meant that she wasn't simply telling him what he wanted to hear. Either way it made him feel a little better knowing that Elektra was safe for at least one more night.

* * *

He wasn't sure how long they slept; only that something had woken him. Checking the Braille watch he hadn't bothered to remove, he learned that it was just after three in the morning. Matt listened for several moments before pinpointing the source of his unscheduled wake up call. When he did locate it, he remained where he was for almost a full minute, unsure about what should be done. 

Elektra was still sleeping peacefully beside him and he wanted to avoid waking her if possible. The problem was that if he tried handling it himself there was a good chance he'd make things worse. Ignoring it wasn't an option either. He was awake now and there was no way he could possibly tune out what he was hearing.

Reaching a decision, Matt carefully removed Elektra's arms from his waist, soundlessly climbing off the cot. He slipped on a pair of shoes and grabbed his sunglasses before leaving the cabin, choosing to forego his walking stick. He'd already memorized the layout of The Compound, and felt confident that he could reach his destination without the use of the cane.

She was standing outside her cabin when he got there, facing away from him. The crying had mostly stopped by then, though Matt still caught the occasional sniffle, could still smell the salt of her tears.

Hearing his approach, Abby wiped her face quickly, but didn't turn to look at him. He stopped next to keeping his eyes locked on the area straight ahead.

"You okay?"

It was a stupid question. Of course she wasn't okay, but it was the only thing he could think to say.

"Yeah, Fine. Just had a nightmare."

"I know."

Silence hung between them, Matt wondered, not for the first time, how wise this had been. He was probably making her uncomfortable; what did he expect to do? How did he expect to make this even the slightest bit easier?"

"I'm sorry."

Abby blurted it out before she could stop herself, the statement coming out of nowhere.

"There's nothing to apologize for."

She ignored his dismissal, plowing ahead anyway. "I know I was rude to you. I kind of have a tendency to do that sometimes."

"It's not a problem." Suddenly realizing the best way to get through to her, Matt turned the conversation toward the one thing the two of them had in common.

"I assume Elektra told you about what happened when we first met?"

"Yeah, she said that she kicked your ass."

Matt scoffed at that. "She exaggerates. My original point was that you being less then cordial to me was nothing compared to her trying to twist my arm off."

Abby managed a small laugh at that, but Matt could tell something was going on. Her heartbeat was a little too fast, though he couldn't tell what was causing it. Her next words answered his question.

"Did you find out anything about Bullseye?"

"Nothing concrete. I went to see Stick for awhile while you and Elektra were talking, but he hasn't been able to locate him."

"But you think you know where he is."

Matt bit his lip, unsure if he should be telling her this, but then again she was bound to find out soon enough. "There's a good chance he's heading back to New York."

"And you guys are going after him."

"Yes. And before you ask, no, you're not coming with us."

Abby looked at him in surprise. "How'd you know I was going to say that?"

"Call it a gift."

Abby decided not to argue the point with him, at least not right now..

"Do you think he could do it again? Kill her again?"

He answered without thinking, his only goal to take away the pain he heard in her voice. "No."

"Why not? He did it once before."

This time he did consider his answer, carefully measuring his words. "When it happened before I think…I think she thought that she had nothing to lose. Her father was gone and she thought he was the only one who cared about her."

"But you were there. She had to know that you cared."

"Oh she knew, but she didn't know how much. Now it's different because she knows what would happen, what it would do to you and I if she died. That's probably the only reason she hasn't gone off looking for him yet. She realizes that keeping herself alive for the people who need her is more important then getting revenge."

Another pause, this one longer, before Abby whispered so quietly that no normal person would be able to hear it. "I just don't want to lose anyone else."

Tentatively, Matt reached over and squeezed her shoulder, grateful that she accepted the gesture without protest. "You won't, I promise."

It had likely been a mistake to say that. The last time he'd made that type of statement, Elektra's father had wound up dead. But he didn't care. He didn't care that he had no full proof way of keeping that promise. All he cared about right then was the fact that another girl had lost her father, and that at least some of the blame fell on his shoulders. If he'd killed Bullseye when he had the chance, then none of this would have happened. Now however, there was nothing he could do but stop the man once and for all and finally put an end to this.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Author's Note: **I know, I know, it's been nearly a month and once again I apologize. I've been feeling a little off lately and I've been busy looking at colleges. Thank you all for your patience and especially your feedback on what I've been trying to do. Also, this one might be nearing an end, which means another two or three chapters. But don't hold me to that, because I've been known to come up with random ideas out of the blue. As always send me your ideas, feedback, whatever you want just so I know you guys are still reading.

**The Return**

Chapter Twelve

"I don't understand this. I've spent hours focusing on him, trying to get a clue as to what he's doing but there's nothing."

"I know. It would appear that he's blocking himself off."

"What do you mean blocking himself off?"

"If the mind is powerful enough, it is possible to prevent the use of Kimagure."

"But Bullseye hasn't studied with The Hand so how would he be able to do that?"

"Roshi or one of his more powerful followers must be protecting him, using their energy to keep us from seeing anything that might provide an advantage."

Listening to the exchange between Elektra and her former mentor, Matt was once again reminded of how surreal his life had become. Having only the slightest grasp on what was being said, he cut into the conversation before Elektra could form a response.

"Hang on a minute, back up. You're saying that you can't see into the future anymore?" The words sounded so ridiculous that under different circumstances he might have actually laughed.

"Not where he's concerned." The reply came from Elektra, who was currently trying to resist the impulse to start pacing the length of Stick's cabin.

"Which means we're in more trouble then we thought."

Elektra didn't know what to say to that. If she tried to deny it, both men would know immediately that she was lying, but she still wasn't ready to admit that Bullseye might have the upper hand. As it turned out, she didn't have to worry about coming up with a resply, because Abby chose that moment to burst into the room.

"Bullseye took someone."

"What are you talking about?"

The girl turned her gaze on Matt, and he somehow knew that she was looking at him as if he'd just asked the stupidest question on Earth.

"Bullseye. Took someone."

Elektra spoke this time, her tone carefully measured. "Abby, how could you know that?"

Now it was her turn to be subjected to Abby's look of utter disbelief at how obvious the answer was. "I saw him."

"You saw him?" Matt repeated skeptically.

"Yes! I was walking around looking for you guys and I just…everything went gray and that's when I saw him."

Elektra stood in stunned silence, her mind whirling with the implications of what Abby had said. Stick was quicker to recover, his face unreadable as always.

"Describe the person you saw."

"You mean the one with the giant target etched on his forehead or the big guy with the curly hair?" Abby couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice. Why were they asking so many questions? Didn't they understand how serious this was?

Elektra meanwhile had already guessed who Bullseye had taken, vague as the description had been. But Matt, Matt had never actually seen the person in question, so the chances of him reaching the same conclusion were slim. Oh God, did that mean she would have to tell him-

The ring of a cell phone seemed overly loud in the small room, jolting her from her thoughts. The phone rang three more times before Matt was able to answer it. His hesitation stemmed from the feeling of dread that had suddenly overcome him, and the certainty he felt about who was on the other end of that line. Finally, he was able to flip the phone open, any words he might have uttered dying in his throat. Because the first thing he heard when he answered that call was the unmistakable sound of bones breaking.

This was immediately followed by groans which would have been muffled to anyone else, but to him came through loud and clear. Next came the voice, that hated Irish accent which filled him with so much hate, so much sheer loathing, that were he able, Matt would have eagerly reached through the phone and strangled the man it belonged to.

"That was to prove your friend Nelson's still alive, though I'm not sure how long he'll stay that way."

"Let him go. He has nothing to do with any of this."

"No, but the kid does. You and your girlfriend bring her to me and I let Nelson go."

"You can't think that I would actually agree to that.

"Oh you'll agree to it, unless you want to listen to Nelson die." There was a loud thudding noise, interspersed with an agonized scream from Foggy.

Matt shut his eyes tightly, every muscle in his body going rigid. Why hadn't he seen this coming? He should've known, should've told Foggy to get as far away from the city as possible, and now it was too late.

"This is between us. I'll come back and we can finish this once and for all, just leave the others out of it."

"No can do blind man. See, the people who hired me, they really want that kid. And me, I'd love to see your little girlfriend again. It'll be just like old times."

Matt didn't dare speak, knowing that if he did he would lose control, and that his best friend would be punished for it. Besides, he didn't want to give the son of a bitch the satisfaction of knowing that he'd got to him.

"You bring the girl by midnight. No one else. Just you, Natchios, and the orphan."

Matt didn't realize Bullseye had hung up until Elektra reached forward and removed the phone from his vice like grip. It was then that he remembered the others in the room, that they too had heard everything Bullseye said. Long, awkward silence once again fell over the room, only this time it was Abby who broke it.

"Well, what are we waiting for? We have to go."

"You're not coming," Elektra replied instantly.

"But he said-"

"I don't care what he said. We are not going to trade you over to him."

"I didn't mean it like that I could help you, help you fight him."

"No, absolutely not. We've been over this Abby. You'd never make it against him."

"But I could see what he's going to do, see it before it happens."

Speaking up for the first time since this argument began, Matt addressed Stick before it could go any further. "That's another thing, how could she have known about Foggy when neither of you did?"

"She's the Treasure," was his only answer.

"But you said it would be impossible for her to see anything about him."

"And she hasn't even been trained yet," Elektra added.

"That's not true," Abby stated defensively. "Stick was teaching me how to do it yesterday." Yes, the exercise had been a royal disaster, but that was only because she'd been more focused on her desire to hit someone then keeping her mind clear. Luckily for her, Stick said nothing of this to Elektra.

"She is the Treasure," he repeated. "You of all people should know that she's capable of extraordinary things"

"That doesn't mean she's ready for this."

"Isn't that her choice to make?"

"Hello? I'm still in the room you know."

Ignoring the interruption, Elektra continued to glare at Stick, frustrated but not entirely surprised that he wasn't backing her up. "She's just a kid."

"Elektra…"

Elektra shifted her attention to Matt, that one word telling her exactly what he was about to say. "Don't. Don't tell me you're agreeing with this."

"If she can do that again…it might be the advantage we need." He sounded almost apologetic, which only served to fuel her anger.

"You know what he's like, what he'll do to her."

"Could you guys please stop talking about me like I'm not here?"

Suddenly mindful of their audience, Elektra grabbed Matt by the elbow, forcing him to follow her outside. Once they were a safe distance away, she whirled to face him, so fast in fact that she nearly knocked him over.

"Have you lost your mind completely? She's fourteen years old and you want to pit her against Bullseye?"

"We could protect her; she wouldn't have to fight him directly."

"You can't promise that."

"And you can't know for sure how powerful he is."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what if The Hand is protecting him in other ways too? What if they've taught him things, given him abilities he didn't have before?"

"Then we deal with it ourselves, but I refuse to put her in danger again."

"And what if we can't deal with them? What if he gets what he wants and we both die, what do you think is going to happen to Abby? At best she spends the rest of her life here, hiding from people like Bullseye and at worst…"

He didn't need to finish. If Abby were left alone, left with nothing but anger and resentment, Elektra knew exactly what would happen, having gone through it herself, and that was the very last thing she wanted for the girl.

"I would never agree to this under normal circumstances," Matt continued, "but he's got Foggy, Elektra. I can't just let him die."

Matt fell silent, unable to believe what he was doing. He knew Elektra was right, that Abby should be kept away from Bullseye at all costs, but he also knew that they would need every advantage they could get if they planned on beating him.

"And besides, if you don't let me go, I'll just sneak out and follow you anyway."

Both adults were surprised to find that Abby had come up behind them, a look of determination written across her face.

"Abby," Elektra started, "what happened before might have been a fluke. There's a good chance you won't be able to-"

"I can do it again," the teenager stated firmly. "There's still time before we have to leave. Stick can help me now and you can train me on the way there."

Elektra knew she had lost. She had no doubt that Abby would find some way to get to New York, no matter how many of Stick's men were guarding her room. She also realized that Matt was right about them not knowing what new skills Bullseye had acquired, and that Kimagure might well be the thing that would save their lives.

"All right."

Without another word she headed off in the other direction, planning to inform Stick of their plan, and hopefully find a way to make herself feel better about what they were going to do, though she doubted very much that that was possible.

Her departure left Abby alone with Matt who looked at her with a kind of strained half smile that did nothing to ease the tension from his face. Hating uncomfortable silences and needing to lighten things up, even just a little, she said the first thing that came to her mind.

"So, do I get a costume?"


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Author's Note: **Finally! I know I've said it before, but I sincerely apologize for making you guys wait so long. Between trying to pass math and college applications, I just haven't had the time to write. It's a lousy excuse I know, but on the bright side we're reaching the home stretch. One more chapter and I'm done. Send me those reviews and let me know what you think. Oh, and try not to kill me after you finish this chapter. All I'll say is that it's not over 'til it's over.

**The Return**

Chapter Thirteen

"This is the place. This is where I saw him."

"You're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure…kind of."

Elektra groaned inwardly. "What do you man 'kind of'?"

"Cut me some slack would you? It only lasted a few seconds and besides, all the rooftops look the same."

"Quiet," Matt ordered from his position a few feet in front of them.

The crash course in Kimagure Stick had put Abby through before they left seemed to have paid off. In the midst of being told by Elektra for what seemed like the hundredth time that she wouldn't be getting a costume, the teenager had experienced a vision, which had led them to where they were now.

The building in question had been abandoned for years and seemed to be falling apart. Straining his hearing to its limits, Matt struggled to find something useful over the constant noise of the city. His efforts were rewarded a moment later.

"Foggy's inside, I recognize his heartbeat." Though his face was obscured, the relief he felt at knowing his friend was alive was plainly obvious.

As Matt began moving toward the rooftop exit, Abby's mind was assaulted with a series of quick, barely discernable images. Despite their rapidness, she saw enough to know what was about to happen and rushed to warn him.

"Look out!"

Matt reacted instantly, whipping out his club just in time to stop the ninja star that had been heading for his throat. He "watched" as the sharp piece of metal collided with his weapon and fell to the ground.

Before Abby knew what was happening, she found herself being pushed behind Elektra. The ex assassin drew both her sais in one fluid motion, all the while searching for the source of the attack. She didn't have to wait long.

Jumping down from the roof of a nearby building, Bullseye landed in front of the exit door, blocking their path to the man beyond.

"Well well well, look who it is. Long time no see blind man."

An amused smirk played on Bullseye's lips as he looked past Matt to Elektra, who was still blocking Abby from view.

"And look who it is. I've missed you babe, I really have." He paused, taking in the scene and, to Matt's fury, began to laugh.

"Oh this is great, this is just priceless."

Knowing how skilled Bullseye was, Matt ignored his desire to close the distance between them and beat the other man to a bloody pulp. There was too much risk involved, too high a chance of Abby getting hurt. So he advanced slowly, hoping to get close enough to end this quickly. Needing to distract him, Matt played along with Bullseye's game, using every once of willpower he had to keep his anger in check.

Bullseye meanwhile was walking casually toward the man in red, acting as though they were old college friends who'd merely lost touch with each other.

"Come on Murdock. You telling me that you don't see the irony in this," he tilted his head toward Abby and Elektra. "Your girlfriend-the one I killed-comes back from the dead. But instead of running back to you, she takes a page out of my book. That's got to sting doesn't it? Being dumped so she could get a new career butchering people? I would almost feel bad for you if it wasn't so damn funny."

"I'm not like you, you sick son of a bitch." Elektra knew what Matt's plan was, what he was attempting to do, and thus far the only thing stopping her from splattering Bullseye's brains against the exit door was knowing that he would probably dodge her weapon and mount a counter attack. Normally this wouldn't have mattered to her, but having Abby with them changed the situation immensely. If she didn't keep her guard up the teenager was likely to get herself killed.

"Not like me? Really? Tell me something, how many people did you off while Murdock here was sitting alone mourning your loss? Because from what I hear it was a hell of a lot.

Abby, who up to now had managed to keep her promise to Elektra to stay out of the way, could no longer stand by and do nothing. Moving before Elektra could stop her, she charged at Bullseye, fully intending to make him pay for everything he'd done.

Her opponent was faster though, sending another ninja star flying her way. This one did make contact, tearing her flesh and embedding itself in her left shoulder blade. He didn't have time to savor his victory, because Daredevil had already tackled him, the two of them landing hard on the concrete roof.

Elektra rushed to Abby's side, hastily checking the extent of the injury.

"I'm fine I'm fine, it's just a scratch." As she said this, Abby pulled the metal object from her shoulder, grimacing at the pain it caused.

"Abby listen to me. Go downstairs and find Foggy now."

"No way!"

I said go."

"But-"

"This isn't a debate! He's Matt's friend and he may be dying now move!"

The thought of another person getting killed gave her pause. Abby bit her lip in frustration then tore off for the exit door. She'd free the other man, make sure he got out safely then come straight back to help Matt and Elektra

As soon as she saw Abby close the door behind her, Elektra rushed toward Matt and Bullseye, who were still fighting on the other side of the roof.

Bullseye was growing tired of this. The Devil's attacks were way too strong coming way too fast and from the corner of his eye he could see the Natchios woman about to join in. Backing away from Murdock, the assassin fingered a small switch on the side of his belt, using his index finger to turn it to the left.

Matt instantly fell to his knees, the pain in his head nearly unbearable. Elektra was at his side a moment later, Bullseye temporarily forgotten.

"Matt, what's wrong?"

"Too loud," he ground out from beneath clenched teeth. The high pitched ringing noise was like nothing he'd ever heard before. It played havoc with his senses, making his eardrums feel like they would burst any second.

Taking advantage of her distraction, Bullseye grabbed Elektra by the back of the neck, pulling her away from her helpless lover. Handling them one at a time would definitely make things easier.

"You know, those people who want the girl, who want you dead, it's amazing the kind of equipment they can get their hands on. Your boyfriend along with every dog within a hundred miles is getting the worst headache of his life right now."

Delivering a harsh kick to the stomach, Bullseye followed up with a series of rapid punches to throw her off balance, the last of which knocked her to the ground. One of the long swords fell from her hand, hitting the roof with a loud clatter. Picking it up, Bullseye stood over Elektra, an evil grin crossing his face.

"Right back where we started huh baby? There's something almost… poetic about it."

Before she could even think about using her other weapon, Bullseye delivered another kick, this time hitting her right hand.

The Irishmen was so caught up in his imminent victory that he never saw Daredevil stumble to his feet, fighting past the pain caused by the device. Taking aim was nearly impossible, his radar was so scrambled he could barely think, but Matt still managed to throw the billy club, praying for accuracy as he did so.

It wasn't a perfect shot, but it did get the job done. The cane struck Bullseye squarely in the back, sending red hot jolts of pain shooting through his spine.

Without thinking and without a moment's hesitation, Elektra jumped up, plunging her remaining sai directly into Bullseye's side. There was a faint crackle as the machine he'd been using to send out those torturous sound waves short circuited and became nothing more then a worthless piece of metal and wires.

Elektra glared at her former adversary, hatred coming off her in waves. Twisting the weapon deeper into his flesh, she allowed herself a brief moment of satisfaction. It was over now. It was finally over.

Pulling the weapon free just as Matt came to rejoin her, Elektra was both astonished and angered when she saw that Bullseye was smiling. Placing a hand over the wound in what all three of them knew was a futile attempt to stop the blood loss, the assassin took a few shuddering breaths and forced himself to talk.

"You…you may have beaten me, but what about the kid?"

"She's fine," Elektra answered, not liking the almost triumphant sound of his voice.

"You're losing your touch," Matt added. "All you did was nick her shoulder."

Bullseye let out a short bark of laughter that quickly turned into a coughing fit. With blood pouring from his mouth and staining his front, he still managed to utter three final words.

"I…never…miss."

They stood for a moment, both trying to interpret the meaning behind their enemy's dying statement. Matt was the one who understood first. Running for the exit door, he kicked it open and bolted down the stairs with Elektra hot on his heels.

Using his hearing as a compass, Matt ran down four flights, stopping at the eighth floor and throwing the door open. Elektra caught up to him a moment later, but stopped dead in her tracks at the sight that met her.

They were in a small, dusty room and Foggy was bound to a chair with a rag stuffed in his mouth directly in front of them. But that wasn't what made the bile rise up in her throat. That was caused by the sight of Abby lying facedown on the dirty floor, seemingly unconscious.

Rushing to her side, Elektra turned her over, distressed to see that her chest was barely moving. Her eyes fell on the cut made from the ninja star and the final piece of the puzzle fell into place.

"He laced it with something."

Matt nodded, striding forward to untie his friend. After a quick inspection, he determined that while Foggy had been beaten pretty badly, none of the injuries appeared to be life threatening. Abby however wasn't so lucky.

Elektra patted her face repeatedly, shook her, called out her name, anything she could think of to get the teenager to wake up.

"Abby come on. Don't do this to me, you have to get up."

It was then that her breathing ceased altogether, her body going completely limp. Looking up at Matt with panic stricken eyes, Elektra shook the girl more urgently, tears clouding her vision.

"No no no no no Abby, not you too, I can't lose you too. Don't do this to me."

But Abby never heard her.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**The Return**

Chapter Fourteen

Much later, when she looked back on the events of that night, Elektra found that she couldn't remember the trip to the hospital, at least not in any clear detail. She only knew that, at some point, Matt had gotten his hands on civilian clothes for the two of them, though how he managed to do this before the ambulance showed up was beyond her.

That had been hours ago and she had yet to receive any word on Abby's condition. She was seriously considering going up to the nurse and demanding information (though she doubted this attempt would be any more successful then the last four) when she became aware of a familiar sound. Looking up, Elektra watched as Matt reentered the waiting room from a nearby hallway and took a seat beside her.

"Any news?" He asked softly.

"Nothing," Elektra replied. Then, after a beat of silence, "how's Foggy?"

"He's okay. Bullseye did a real number on him, but he'll recover. Except…"

"Except what?"

"He knows. About me. Apparently while Bullseye was beating him up he also took great pleasure in letting him know that his best friend has been lying to him for years."

"So what did he say to you?"

"Nothing really, he was still pretty drowsy from all the drugs they've been giving him. I'll have to wait until later before I try explaining things. That'll be an interesting conversation."

"I'm sorry; I know you didn't want him to find out like this."

"It doesn't matter. Actually it might make it a little easier when I have to explain how you suddenly came back from the dead."

Elektra nodded but didn't say anything, her mind already returning to Abby. Sensing this, Matt placed a hand on her knee, squeezing gently in an attempt to convey his support.

"She'll be all right," he stated firmly.

"How do you know?"

"Because she's too much like you to let Bullseye win."

"But if she's not all right, if something does happen, I can't bring her back. Kimagure is a one time option and I already used hers up."

"Nothing is going to happen. She's too strong, survived too much to let herself be beaten now."

Before Elektra could formulate a response, a new voice interrupted. "You should listen to him Elektra, he's a smart man. Most of the time anyway."

They were both up and out of their seats in a heartbeat, Stick's arrival an unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome development.

"Tell me she's okay," Elektra demanded.

The smile tugging at the old man's lips was all the answer she needed. "She was lucky. The doctors were able to get her breathing again long enough for me to do the rest. The fact that she fought it off at all is quite remarkable."

"So she'll be okay?"

Stick nodded an affirmative. "The drug is out of her system, which is fortunate because the medical staff here would have had no idea how to deal with it. It's one of The Hand's newer varieties of poison."

But Elektra barely heard him at all; her mind having more or less stopped as soon as she realized Abby was no longer in danger. "I need to see her."

"Of course."

Matt was hit with a strong sense of déjà vu as Stick once again directed them to Abby's location after once again saving her life. Had all that really been only a few days ago? God, it felt like another lifetime.

"You should go. Be with her. I know that's what you both want."

"Thank you," Matt extended his hand to the older man, who's grip was surprising strong. As he turned to leave, Matt noticed that Elektra wasn't following him.

"I never did thank you for everything you've done."

"You never had to," Stick answered.

"But you saved her. And no matter what's happened between us I'll never be able to repay you for that."

"If you want to repay me, then don't waste your second chance."

"I don't intend to."

Acting on impulse, Elektra gave her former mentor a quick hug, followed by her more customary bow of respect, a gesture he returned.

"Oh, and you might want to work on that stubborn streak as well."

Shaking her head in amusement, Elektra rejoined Matt at the doors leading to the hallway, suddenly feeling more at peace then she had in years.

* * *

They found Abby asleep in her hospital bed. While Matt sat down, Elektra remained standing, knowing that she wouldn't relax fully until the girl woke up.

"What are we supposed to say when a doctor comes in and starts asking questions?" Matt wondered.

"Something tells me Stick already took care of that."

"How?"

"I have no idea, but then again that's nothing new when it comes to him."

Matt nodded in acceptance, realizing that there were plenty of things about the man that neither of them would ever understand."

They lapsed into silence, Elektra never taking her eyes off Abby. Matt heard the change in the girl's heartbeat that signaled her return from the land of sleep a few minutes later.

"She's waking up," he whispered.

"I know." Taking a seat at the edge of the bed, Elektra covered Abby's hand with her own, relief coming over her in waves as the teen slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey, Warrior Girl, how are you feeling?"

Abby coughed lightly, trying to clear her throat before focusing on Elektra. "This is happening way too often."

"Tell me about it," Elektra laughed.

Abby's gaze traveled across the room, landing on Matt for the first time. Sensing this, he gave her a smile and carefully rested a hand on her arm.

"Welcome back."

"You mean you actually missed me?" She asked good- naturedly.

"That and I was afraid the night nurse might lose a limb if you didn't wake up soon. Elektra was getting pretty anxious."

"Stop exaggerating, I only threatened her once."

" I counted six times actually."

"I was worried," she defended herself. "And by the way, didn't I tell you to let us handle things?"

"Yup," Abby replied.

"And didn't you promise you would?"

"Yup," Abby repeated.

"So what happened?"

" I had my fingers crossed."

Elektra gave her an exasperated look "That is not an excuse."

"Sure it is. Might not be a very good excuse, but it's still an excuse. Anyway, can we skip the lecture for right now; I want to know what happened."

So they told her, giving an abbreviated version of everything that went on, after which Elektra noticed that her eyes were beginning to droop.

"You should rest."

"I've been resting for hours," she argued.

"Yeah, well Stick's remedies can pack quite a punch. Sleep, unless you want to have that discussion about following orders right now?"

"Nope, later is good. Now that you mention it, I am pretty tired."

"That's what I thought." Leaning down, Elektra pulled the teenager into a gentle hug, followed by Matt, who placed a light kiss on her forehead.

As her eyes grew heavier, Abby whispered a request to both of them.

"Don't leave okay?"

The couple exchanged looks before Elektra responded in an equally quiet voice.

"We're not going anywhere.

* * *

**Epilogue**

**Three months later**

Elektra sighed in relief as the incessant noise of the smoke detector finally ceased. The damn thing had been going off for nearly fifteen minutes, despite the fact that the small oven fire had been put out long before then. Tired and frustrated, she exited the kitchen to find Abby sprawled out on the couch with the television remote in one hand and a bowl of popcorn in the other.

"Turn that thing off!" She had to shout over the noise of the toothpaste commercial flashing across the screen, Abby having turned the volume as high as it would go.

She complied immediately, schooling her features into a look of practiced innocence. "What's up?"

Elektra glared at her, arms crossed over her chest. "Why didn't you help me out with that?" She asked, gesturing toward the kitchen.

"I didn't hear you?"

"You heard me perfectly well; you just turned the TV up so you could pretend not to."

Shoot, the innocent look had never worked that well on her father either. "Okay, so I was busy."

"You were sitting on the couch watching The X Files. In what universe is that considered busy?"

"Probably the same one where guys have tattoos that attack people?"

Elektra smiled very slightly, unable to stay mad for too long. Turning back toward the kitchen she said, "Don't be a smart ass."

"Can't help it, it's ingrained in my DNA. Hey, you would've liked that show; there was this alien flesh eating virus that was killing everyone."

Elektra stopped what she was doing long enough to wonder why Abby would possibly think a plot like that would be appealing to her. "Charming. Do me a favor, if you're going to waste your time vegetating in front of that thing, could you at least watch something that's not guaranteed to rot your brain out?"

"Like what, A Christmas Story? I swear, if I see that movie one more time I'm going to hit something."

"It's December Abby, that's when they play Christmas movies."

"So?"

"So-never mind, let's just drop it."

The front door opened at that moment, revealing Matt and Foggy, both carrying a pizza.

"Hey," Matt greeted Abby with a shoulder squeeze. "Just drop it on the table," he directed at Foggy.

The other man did as Matt asked, wrinkling his nose at the smoke still emanating from the kitchen. "I guess Martha Stewart is going to have some competition."

Elektra entered the living room again, giving Matt what was supposed to be a quick peck on the lips but quickly escalated into a more drawn out kiss.

The other occupants of the room rolled their eyes simultaneously until Matt finally released her, a smile gracing his lips.

"Why did you bring pizza?" Elektra asked. "I was supposed to make dinner."

"And you seem to be doing fabulously," Foggy responded as he glanced toward the blackened remains of what had once been a chicken. "But we thought it was better to come prepared just in case."

"Okay guys, pay up."

Elektra looked at Abby in confusion,. The girl had a triumphant glint in her eyes and was holding out her hand expectantly. Foggy, who seemed suddenly uncomfortable, began digging through his wallet and it wasn't long before Matt did the same. As she watched, they each pulled out fifty dollar bills and handed them to the teen.

"We weren't supposed to do this right in front of her," Foggy groaned.

Abby shrugged unconcernedly, pocketing the money and going straight for the pizza. Realization finally hit and Elektra shot them all an accusing glare.

"You were betting on me!"

"Well, betting is such a strong word," Foggy began before caving under the ex assassin's scrutiny. "It was her idea," he finished lamely, pointing a finger at Abby.

"Nice," Abby said past a mouthful of pepperoni. "Is that what they teach you in law school?"

"That's enough," Matt told both of them. Then, turning to Elektra he continued. "It was just a friendly little wager. And if it makes you feel any better, I was the one betting that you wouldn't set anything on fire."

"And I was the one betting that we'd get to test the smoke detector," Abby added.

Elektra laughed in spite of herself. Matt's suggestion that the four of them have a pre Christmas dinner suddenly made sense, as did Abby's insistence that said dinner wouldn't be the same if they ordered take out. She really should've suspected something like this, but truth be told, she was in too good of a mood to be angry.

"Fine, let's just eat while there's still something left." Elektra glanced pointedly at Abby, who was already on her third slice.

"I have a rapid metabolism."

The rest of the night passed uneventfully as everyone enjoyed a rare moment of normalcy. Though he'd been shocked and more then a little hurt that Matt had lied to him all those years, Foggy had forgiven him rather quickly, glad that Matt seemed to have found some measure of happiness. And though he was somewhat disturbed by Elektra's past, he also realized that she was a genuinely good person who loved Matt unconditionally.

Abby had moved in with them right away, and though she still missed her father, she was doing a fairly good job of moving on with her life. Any negative feelings she had toward Matt had been erased long ago and she now counted him among the few people she trusted.

As Elektra looked around at them all, she couldn't help the nagging feeling that things weren't really over. The Hand was still out there, though she doubted they would make a move any time soon. Pushing those thoughts from her mind, she focused on what was important. Right now they were safe, right now Matt wasn't out risking his life as Daredevil, and for right now, that was enough.

* * *

Ben Urich sat at his desk in the newspaper office, hand hovering over the receiver of his phone. Much as he thought they would want this information now, something was telling him to hold off. Reaching a decision, he left the phone in its cradle, picked up the jacket draped across the back of his chair and headed home for the night. It could wait until the morning. In the morning he would call Matt Murdock and tell him what he'd found out.

In the morning he would tell him that Bullseye's body had never reached the morgue.

**Author's Note: **It's done, it's finally done! Took me long enough huh? I changed things up and put this at the end of the chapter instead of the beginning just because I have a lot to say and I didn't want to mention any spoilers. I know the ending might seem a little corny, but I went to two funerals (It would have been three if I hadn't got sick) this week and I really needed to write something a little sappy. My question to you is…what did you think? This was my first story and I was really nervous about posting. Was it halfway decent or are you guys throwing virtual tomatoes at me right now?

Question two is…should I write a sequel? I definitely have some ideas floating around, but I wouldn't want to write something that nobody cares to read. Give me your opinions by sending me a review.

Finally, I'd like to dedicate this story to Chris, Christian, and Derek, three great guys from my school that passed away this week. Wherever you guys are, I'm sure you're having one hell of a party, just like you always did. Thanks to everyone who ever took the time to even look at this story, and especially to those who reviewed. You guys gave me great insights and kept me motivated to write. Special thanks go to Ratdogtwo, who was kind enough to help me out with certain plot points whenever I was stuck. Finally, to close the longest author's note in the history of the world, I just want to wish all of you happy holidays and thank you for your support, even when it took me an eternity to update.


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